Tainted Dreams
by Ana-Shadow-Wolf
Summary: An accident and a coma. Two elements that unlocked the door of a new world of nightmares to a girl called Helyse Blake.
1. Chapter One: The Accident

**Chapter One - The Accident **

The school's bell rang, announcing the end of classes for that day. The students immediately started to arrange their school materials, talking and laughing amongst themselves. There was happiness in their voices.

Just a few were isolated and not seeming so happy... One of them was a girl who seemed to be around seventeen years old. Another was a boy who was in a deep –but jittery- sleep. When the bell sounded, he awoke and his friends immediately gathered around him and started to talk bemusedly.

The girl paid no care to it, and went left the class without a glance behind her. She walked looking at the floor, her long hair hiding her face.

'_It's kind of odd'_, she thought, '_Locker never fell asleep in class before, but now he is doing it almost every day…_' Not that she cared about it, but since the boy was seated next to her, it was impossible to not notice this change of behavior. As soon she thought that, she realized that no one could blame the boy. In the last week, one of his best friends had been murdered in the night, leaving no clues behind as to who the killer was, which had resulted in several speeches and warnings from the teachers (and _that_ had _made_ her sleepy).

The girl of who I am talking about had long, wavy –almost braided- hair, of a dark blond shade, the same color of a lion's fur. Her eyes were a dark, of a deep blue, like the bottom of the ocean. The way she walked made her look like a loner with no friends, and she was (as many other people are in high school). In her case it was because most people thought that she was strange.

Not that she was stupid or ugly, but she was… Just _strange_. Strange enough to make others feel unease around her as if the girl was sending waves (that could be felt almost only by teenagers) that screamed "_different, unlike the rest, stay away"._ And her name didn't help the matter: Helyse. Some people called her Hell by joke, but she didn't care. There were other things they called her and Hell wasn't the worst of it.

Thinking about what she should cook for lunch, Helyse boarded the bus and sat next to a window, gazing out of it and starting to relax… Almost closing her eyes, just feeling the warmth of the sun upon her skin…

Suddenly, the bus started to jump and shake, making her wake up out of that disperse state, confused. The bus was hitting, or being hit by another car, like if it had lost direction. As she looked out the window, Helyse saw smoke in the sky, which already had clouds of rain.

And the people, of course, were in a panic.

"What's going on?!" A woman screamed hysterically, trying to stand up, but falling and hurting herself. Helyse tried to hold on her seat, but a movement of the bus threw her to the floor.

"A gasoline truck exploded!" Someone else yelled. Helyse had to cover her ears to block out the screams, but they still got through. It was too much for anyone to handle.

Suddenly, she couldn't see anything right. She saw the floor of the bus, then a side and felt her body hitting the cold, hard metal… She felt she was being shaken and pushed as if she were a rag doll. The smell of blood was in the air, the sound of horrified screams overloading her senses. Gasping in a shallow breath, something sharp and hard hit her head, making her see white stars as the pain overwhelmed her, her blue eyes becoming full of water. Some of the voices stopped screaming, and the sound of breaking glass was heard.

All of it took less than a minute to happen, and then stop.

The bus seemed to be turned upside down. There was a lot of blood, broken glass, and the bus seemed dented. All that was heard now was a baby wailing. Helyse was semi-unaware, but enough to feel the pain.

Trying to ignore that, she tried to stand up, but her body was stuck under something. Too tired to even think to get herself free, she just lied on the floor - or was it the roof? She blinked, trying to get her vision back into focus, but it seemed that her body was losing the few ounces of unawareness that it still had.

Helyse heard an ambulance in the distance, but now there was another sound that seemed like… Voices? She tried to clear her mind while she touched her head – which took a lot out of her - and felt her hair, which was soaked in blood… _Her own _blood.

But why did the pain seem so distant?

Dizzy and strangely sleepy, she knew that a person who suffered a concussion shouldn't sleep soon after it, but she couldn't remember why.

Now, all sounds around her seemed distant, like whispers coming from some faraway place, and the voices she had thought she was listening to were louder and their words more intelligible.

'_One, Two, Freddy is coming for you'_

Voices of two or three little girls singing… She felt herself shiver. That, for some reason, wasn't good at all. She didn't even know why she had that feeling about the song, which she had never heard in her whole life.

'_Three, Four, Better lock your door'_

"Stay awake… Stay awake." She muttered to herself and realized she had blood on her mouth. Suddenly, she didn't just have a bad feeling, but she felt genuine horror (of the song? Of the pain? Did it even matter?). Something was telling her that she just couldn't sleep, and it wasn't just because of the concussion. It was something more, something that she didn't know. But even so, it filled her with an unaccounted sense dread.

'_Five, Six, Grab a crucifix'_

What the hell kind of song was that? And why the hell couldn't her head _stop bleeding_? Though the pain was so distant, it was like itch…

'Se_ven, Eight, Gonna stay up late'_

Her eyes were closing against her will, and she could no longer keep them open.

'_No, NO'_ she thought, her own mind tired too tired and to much sleepy to fight,

'_Nine, Ten, Never sleep again'_

When the rescue team came, Helyse Blake was already in a coma.


	2. Chapter Two: Freddy Krueger

**Chapter Two- Freddy Krueger**

When Helyse recovered her conscience, the first thing she noticed was that she was laid over a metal and hard floor. She wasn't in pain anymore and the sensation of wetness on her hair had gone, but she was still dizzy.

But was impossible, why she was there? Better, _how_? She couldn't remember practically anything... Few moments ago she was... Where she had _been_? Looking around she just saw pipes. If she had died, that place didn't seem like Hell _or_ Heaven.

So… Where was here?

Helyse stood up and started to walk, looking around as if trying to figure out her location. She had an awful feeling about that… Though she couldn't remember _anything_.

All was very weird. She had the same clothes that she had gone to school, but so… Feeling pain, she leaded herself in a bunch of pipes and closed her eyes, forcing her mind to work, the way a person would try to force an old machine to work. The pain was very acute, as if a big black horse was patting his paws over her brain…

So, she remembered. How she could have forgotten? _The accident_.

How…? First she had fainted, very well, it was obvious, and now she was in some place that seemed a boiler room? It had absolutely no sense whatsoever. Helyse was the kind of human being who is "_feet on earth_", she lived without barely believe in supernatural stuff. So, usually there was no way she would even _consider_ the possibility of that experience BE supernatural or something of that sort…

But the song… She didn't forget the song…

"_And this is leading to nowhere…"_

A noise of something sharp and metallic against the pipes made her shiver. It was like fingernails against a blackboard, even worse. She felt an impulse of run, escape. There was something cruel here, something that didn't care about killing, something that was completely out of the laws of Physics and Logic that ruled her mind…

She dominated herself. It wasn't as if she could be qualified as normal, right?

"Too scared to run, girl?"

She turned back and had to bite her inferior lip to contain a scream. There was a man behind her, however… However, his state was such that was impossible to believe he was even _alive_… His skin was absolutely burnt, several spots of his skin were burned as holes showing a bloody-like skin… And yet wasn't it that scared her (at least not _just it) _it was also the fact that he had a kind of aura, a strange dark and evil force all around him that she couldn't see, but could feel… And something more, something she couldn't describe. It was more that just evilness… Helyse used to have pretty good intuitions about people and her mind was screaming that, if she didn't run, she would be killed….

Once in her life, she rejected her own intuition and stood there, despite her fear and staring at the man, who was wearing a green and red sweater.

"Who are you?" Whoever saw her at the moment, would notice the contrast between those two. While the man seemed the incarnation of the infernal fire at the moment, the girl seemed (especially because of her eyes) the incarnation of an infernal ice.

"The name "Freddy Krueger" doesn't rings any bell, bitch?"

Helyse lifted an eye brown. _Bitch_? Not that she wasn't used to this kind of words, but to be free insulted like this didn't make it better.

"No, it doesn't. It doesn't _at all"_ She said, in a daring tone, but in truth, she was scared to death. That name, truth to be told, wasn't all unknown to her… But it wasn't like a really memory, but, again, an intuition.

The man laughed, but it wasn't a joy laugh…

"Too bad, too sad… But it makes no difference.'' He lifted his hand and Helyse saw a glove with fingernails which were fingers like knives, shining in the fire light. She really wanted to run by now, it didn't matter if that stuff was real or not, she didn't want feel these claws in her skin to find out.

_What was going on?_

He came closer, ready to tear her apart… The girl was too confused and scared; she could just step behind, telling herself that it was just a kind of hallucination… It wasn't real. It _couldn't_ be real…

Someone pulled Freddy aside and grabbed Helyse's hand.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU FOOL? RUN!" And with that, the person pushed her through the hallway. Helyse, waking up of her shock state, noticed that the person was a boy. Behind them, Freddy was laughing.

"And there's the knight in shining armor to help the little princess… For how long will you both bear it?"

Neither of the teenagers answered.

**XxX**

The boy conducted Helyse through the hallways of pipes as if he knew some ways and stopped with her next to a big boiler and sat for a minute, seeming tired.

"I think we got some time… I hope" He said. Helyse looked to him, almost thanking him by his help (even thought she hadn't asked for it), but her mouth opened…

"_LOCKER_?" She was shocked again. Truly shocked. She didn't expect Kurt Locker, who never had even spoken to her, to help her or even be in that crazy damned place. Locker looked to her. He was pretty, short black hair and eyes equally black.

"Ah… You are that girl from my class, aren't? Eh… Blake…"

In the moment, Helyse couldn't care less about this sort of thing. She just sat in front of him for she was tired too. But more than anything, Helyse wanted answers. She hadn't to be genius to see that all _was_ real, despite of how impossible and insane it seemed to be. Now that they were away of that man, her fear had melted away as a candle being blow… That didn't mean that she was calm…

"Yeah, yeah... Look, Locker…"

"Call me Kurt, ok?"

She sighed. Was that the time for be presenting themselves?

"Ok, _Kurt_… What's going on around here? I don't understand anything from anything"

The boy looked to her as if he was feeling pity and he was. Kurt never had spoken to Helyse, he also used to think that she was a strange one, but he didn't think that she deserved to be dragged to that nightmare.

And who did?

"Listen well, because we don't have much time… Better we try to wake up and…"

"Wake up?" Her voice became a snarling. Her patience was growing thin. "_I am _in a place that I never saw before in my whole life with a guy who seems an outliving of the biggest fire ever, with knives-like claws wanting to rip me and _you _are talking about wake up?"

Kurt sighed. Helyse really didn't understand anything and he knew that would be very difficult to convince her. She was showing signals of be a rational type girl… Too rational to believe in what he was about to tell.

"You must be sleeping or something… Of what you remember?"

"I was going to home in a bus and… And…" She stopped for a moment as she was hit by an idea. "Maybe I am unconscious. I mean, an accident happened and I hit my head… So, I heard one strange song and here I am"

Kurt knew very well how a hit in the head could be dangerous. He was just taking a nap… He had fallen asleep without want over his table, while he was doing his homework… A concussion could have more serious consequences. It was really better explain all quickly to that girl. He could wake before her and then the girl would be stuck in the same situation than before, if or even worse… Unless someone managed to wake her up.

"So listen to me and don't interrupt. You are unconscious, sleeping, doesn't matter. You are in… Well, we don't know really where or what is, we just call it the Dream World and that man is Freddy Krueger, and believe me, you better run of him and DON'T stay motionless waiting him to kill you! It seems crazy, but is true"

He expected her to say that sounded too crazy to be true, but she seemed to be trying to follow it.

"So, is that… It isn't real… It's a kind of hallucination, a nightmare, so it can't be true"

"It can and it is. It is a nightmare, indeed. But if he hurts you _here_, you'll be hurt in the Real World… If he kills you here…"

Helyse remembered of the sensation of having her life at stake, the song she had heard, these claws shining… She shivered. And Kurt and his friends, seeming as if they weren't having enough sleep and showing strangers wounds, Kurt's friend who had died…

"If you stop to think, it makes senses, doesn't it?" He asked, with a sad smile. Helyse could just nod. But, if it was just a dream, all there was to do was just waking up… But the problem was that she should be fainted or worse, wasn't easy to wake someone who is in that state and there was more, she could be in a hospital now and doubted that someone would just wake her.

That if she _was _unconscious… She knew very well of the alternative and if it seemed bad before, now seemed worst.

She was about to say something, but someone appeared behind her and, in the next moment, she screamed in pain. A cold and metallic thing had cut the back of her neck, which was bleeding now. Kurt and Helyse stood up and looked to Freddy, who was smiling and showing his claws… They were stained with Helyse's fresh blood. She knew that the wound wasn't deep, but even so it hurt so much…

"It's end the Cat-and-Mouse game…" For what she could see of his dark eyes, he was anxious to end that game. Anxious to kill them…

And it was true, that game was over and they had nowhere to run. Walls had stood up from the floor somehow and closed around them, the door of a boiler had opened showing flames and they heard screams of pain, as if there were people in there, burning forever… Without dying.

The message was clear: They could die of two ways… Or by Freddy's claws or by the fire of the boiler and none of the options seemed good.

"Let her out of this, Krueger! Hell has nothing to do with it!"

Freddy stared to Kurt with a mocking smile and Helyse just blinked. She couldn't understand why Kurt was trying to defend her when the barely knew each other, but she was thankful, somehow (at least she _supposed_ she was).

"How sweet! Trying to protect your girlfriend, asshole?"

Before Kurt could answer, Freddy just walked to him and his claws scratched through his skin and flesh, tearing it along with his veins… Kurt could step behind, but now he was closer to the boiler and was holding his own shoulder which was bleeding much more than Hell's neck.

Helyse wasn't, in anyway, the kind of person who is always trying to save other people. Especially if she didn't even knew them. But in that situation, it was very different. Kurt _had_ helped her, acting as if they were friends… She would be very ungrateful if she didn't help him and to add more to it, it felt as if she owned him something and _that _was a feeling she didn't like at all. So, before the boy tripped and fell right in the fire, she pulled him by his shirt, putting him in front of herself and still holding him by his shirt, which already was wet in blood.

"My turn of help you" The girl forced her head against his with all strength and it had the result she had expected: Kurt screamed in pain and surprise, but disappeared of that place. Helyse had waked him… But she was still there.

"_Oh, great…" _She thought sarcastically, apparently idea of her current situation was true.

Her suspects were correct: The accident _had_ left her more than just unconscious…

It had left her in a coma.


	3. Chapter Three: Letting Live

**Chapter Three – Letting Live **

Helyse couldn't picture a worst situation in the moment. Besides being in a coma, she was stuck in that "Dream World" with a murderer that just ruled the place. There was no way things could be worse…

Coma…

And she could _die_ there… She would never wake up… It wasn't exactly fear of Freddy Krueger that she felt in the moment, but more of that coma which she was in… She never had thought this state could be so scarier…

When it came down to it, she realized in seconds, she had two big bad troubles: The coma itself and Freddy Krueger. About the coma, she didn't think she could do something about it (unless she could beat herself wake) but _right_ now moment it was with the second one that she had to deal.

And Krueger was mad at her. But he noticed that the hit, despite being enough to wake Kurt, hadn't done a single thing to her other than probably give that girl a headache.

He smiled, liking to see how she shivered.

"I lost the fucker, but seem you can't wake so easily, can you, bitch?"

Helyse wished that he would stop calling her names when he didn't even knew her name and almost laughed when she realized this… That monster was about to kill her and she was worried about politeness and respect?! That was an ultimate joke; that was what it was.

The girl sensed that the barrier of floor behind her was going down… Freddy smirked.

"Run"

And so she did. She knew that was pointless, that was his world, but staying there and let him kill her that easy didn't seem the best option either. He was just playing with her, wishing to make her more scared than she already was.

And he was being successful.

"_Damn, I can't be in coma! I can't_!" She thought "_Maybe that blow was not strong enough, just that…_"

She'd rather confirm if she was really in coma before she got so desperate… More than she already was. She just kept running until she came near to a bigger boiler… The pipes around it were emitting hot smoke…

Would it hurt enough?

Well… It would be better if it did, or she would gain bruises and blisters for a good time and for nothing at all…

Creating courage, she hit her own arm against the piper nearest to the boiler… The pain was hideous, white stars of pain shined in front of her eyes and her skin seemed like be melting and she couldn't suppress a scream of pain…

Bur she didn't wake.

"_Heck! I have to _wake up_!" _She never thought that she would be in a situation where her life depended on just waking up. But how could she wake from a coma?

A sardonic voice behind her made her cold, though she was feeling hot upon a minute ago.

"And do you think that waking, you'll escape from me?" He said, as if he had read her mind.

Krueger seemed very satisfied with the result he was getting with that girl. Scared? She was not scared… She was terrified! And he could feel her fear coming to him, turning into strength. So much that he could almost _taste _it…

Helyse started running again, but if she needed a confirmation, it was right in her arm… It was hurting, red, burned and she hadn't waked up. She could just pray to already be in a hospital and that someone would cure that damned wound on her arm…

She felt the floor getting a bit hot and strangely soft… She fell, hitting her face on the floor, in a part that was still hard and the taste of blood came back to her mouth. Looking back, she saw that a part of the floor seemed have melted… It looked like quick-sand and seemed as something was pulling her by her feet…. The floor now was like pitch… The thing that was pulling her was wet and cold, like an enormous tongue or worse…

She tried to thrust her fingers in the floor that was still normal and hold on it.

A boot came from nowhere and stepped in her hand with full strength. Helyse could swear that some of her fingers had just broken, but she held her scream and looked up, right in Freddy's eyes.

Freddy cowered, scrubbing his boot against her hand, feeling her bones dropping over his weight and stared at Helyse's eyes, as if answering to _her_ stare. Few were the victims that had looked into his eyes like that in these moments and that girl, he noticed, had deep, dark blue eyes, like the bottom of the ocean… Now, they were shining of angry and dare, like blue dark diamonds.

He liked, it meant that she would be fun to kill her.

"Interesting… It's the first time that some brat stays so long in the _first_ nightmare, did you know, _Blake?"_ He said her name as if dragging the syllables, teasing her.

"Should I take that as praise?" She spoke trying to not sound as scared and in pain, as she was. Her hand already was insensible and she was still trying to get free of that strange floor and the thing that was still pulling her.

Freddy stepped with more strength, reviving the pain and Helyse bitted her down lip, holding a scream.

"Does that matter?"

Helyse noticed that now she was almost falling… The floor had open, becoming a big hole. She didn't dare to look down to see what would catch her if she fell. But that new situation, the sensation of small things with very many feet running through her body and biting her, small hands pulling her… That made her recovered the animation and she tried to get free again.

In his turn, Freddy was a bit confused. It wasn't normal that his victims spent so much time in their _first_ nightmare, he hadn't lied about that… That damned girl _should_ be awake by now… Usually, he let certain victims surviving the first nightmare just so they would tell others about him, in that way it was easier invade other's dream… And, after all, it was really fun to prolong the hunt like that… Until a certain point, that is.

But that girl… Not only she wouldn't wake up, but she was giving to him _so much energy_ with her fear… Much more than the normal kids usually gave him. And there was something special about that fear or was just the amount of strength he was getting of it?

In a rude movement, her pulled her by hair and lifted her. Helyse grabbed his wrists by instinct, trying to make him release her. For God's sake! What he wanted? Take off her head's skin?

"Why didn't you wake 'till now?" He gave to her an evil and dirty smile "Too much drugs?"

Helyse didn't care for the question. But that proximity was making her sick. Not by his burned skin… She didn't care much for it… But it was the _smell_. The smell of death and blood… And she could swear that she was hearing slow, lament screams, which echoed ghostly… They seemed to come from that man's body…

He noticed what she had heard and smiled, much like a shark.

"Don't mind the souls of my children… Unless you want to join to then _now_, better answer me, bitch"

Helyse didn't understand at all what he meant, but the threat he had just given had a reasonable effect on her.

"And I know? Let me go!" She was sure she hadn't wake up because she was in coma (what other option there was?), but what there was to gain in telling him so?

"_What a damned whore!"_ In answer, Freddy scratched her shoulder with such strength that Hell thought that her flesh would jump out through the wound. If anything, Krueger just enjoyed this and the fact he always knew how to get answers.

Understanding that not answering would just bring more pain upon her, Helyse decided to use her good sense…

"Ok, _ok_! I suffered an accident and hit my head! I thought I should be just unconscious or fainted but it seems to be something more… I guess I'm in coma. Happy now, you psychopath?"

Freddy threw her against the pipes as though she was just a useless doll and Helyse fell, but stayed quiet, without knowing what he was about to do… She surely had made him angry by helping Kurt to wake. To move could make him attack her right there, it felt as if she was face to face with some sort of dangerous animal, like a tiger or a lion.

But she heard his steps getting distant… And she didn't understand. Wasn't he about to kill her? Kurt had said that he was a killer, didn't he?

When she lifted her head, Freddy wasn't there anymore. She knew that he was still around, in the boiler room, but it seemed that she wasn't his target _for now_…

Maybe another person had fallen asleep?

She sat and cleaned the blood of her face, leading in the pipes and taking long breaths.

Why Freddy Krueger was keeping her alive?

**XxX**

It took a certain time until Helyse had courage to stand up. She didn't know how much time she had spent thinking about her situation. She didn't think she had slept… After all, she was in coma and therefore, she didn't need to sleep… She guessed.

But she surely got surprised when she saw that her wounds _had_ been medicate, what was very good. Still hurt, but they weren't bleeding and her shoulder and hand felt bind. She thought if that was normal in a Dream World, since she sure had wished the pain to go away and the wounds to be cured, or if that was because she should be in a hospital.

Well, two theories and same result. However, she was betting on the second option.

The most important thing, she realized, was that she would better learn the rules of that game if she wanted to survive…

In silence, she walked, unaware of where Freddy was, but she could only hope he wasn't around… But this had already been proven to not be her luck day.

He was in a few meters, his claws against the pipes making shining sparks. He had been working in his glove and now, was checking if the claws were really sharp as he liked it.

Useless to say, they were.

She stopped, waiting to see if he still wanted to kill or torture her… For her surprise, Freddy just stared to her, almost normally…

"Got courage to stand up?"

"You… You didn't kill me…" She wasn't sure how to make the question: _Why?_

Freddy seemed take that as if she was daring him to do it and immediately came closer, holding her neck.

"And I can change that in a minute".

Helyse made a mental annotation to think before talk around here. She could tell easily that man wasn't used to civilized talks.

"W-Why didn't you kill me?" Her voice was just a light breath. Freddy laughed, he had thought that this bitch would understand easily, but it was clear that he had super estimated her… He should already know, these brats couldn't put one and one together and see that this makes two… They couldn't, even if they would make the count in the fingers!

He let the girl go, but before she could recompose herself, he pulled her by her hair, pulling her face close. Yes, he wouldn't kill her for now, but it would be better that the whore knew that wasn't out of pity or something… He hadn't any patience and having a girl, with airs of arrogance and superiority, pissing him off, wouldn't be good to his plans.

"I am letting you live, indeed… But don't you think that I'll tolerate you, if you want to live a bit more, whore, don't interfere in my business"

He released her, delighting with her fear… That girl was an ambulant source of energy while she was in coma. She was a secure and constant source, so it was very convenient.

Going away, he smiled. Soon, he would have energy enough to go to the Real World…

And he didn't care if he had to explore each of her fears to make her be afraid.

But perhaps it would be better he keep some distance of the girl, he wasn't sure he would resist to the temptation of killing her. He could do that later and would, but Freddy wasn't really the kind of person who knew to wait.

As for Helyse, the girl just curled up in a corner and decided to rest a bit as she revised her situation once more, sure that if a murderer like Krueger was letting her alive, it couldn't be a good signal.

Of course, she had no idea of what he was planning, but it didn't matter.

The fact was that she was in a great trouble and, as soon as she got herself off that coma, better.


	4. Chapter Four: Trying to Save a Life

**Chapter Four - Trying to Save a Life **

Helyse didn't know how to calculate the passing of time, but since she was in coma, she thought that it didn't matter since she had more to be focused on now as she was trying to learn the rules of that place and the first one (at least to her) was to always be as far of Freddy Krueger as she could, in the case of that impulse of '_Let-The-Girl-Alive'_ ended. She was, some would say, getting the grasp of the place.

He had said to her don't mess with his business…

Well, Helyse wasn't the kind of girl who was inclined to just accept orders without questioning (not that in this case it even _needed _questioning). She accepted very well the laws and rules… But orders? That was a bit more complicated. She just didn't bend well to someone who tried to control her without having any right to do so.

So, she didn't take too long to forget Krueger's order…

**XxX**

There was no way to say how much time had passed on, but to Helyse it all seemed like a true eternity by a simple fact: She didn't have what to do in that place but avoid Freddy Krueger, and that didn't help to pass the time, once that him too acted as if he didn't wish to stay close to her. It wasn't that his company was welcome, far from it, but the only time he showed any wish to be near her, was to torture her. Otherwise, he acted as if "the far, the better" was his policy.

"_At least we got that in common_" She thought bitter, only that if it depended on her, he wouldn't be near her _ever_, especially not to torture her. Leading her arms in a mail rail of pipes and looking to what could be the down floor of that room (that if that labyrinth of pipes had an up or down floor), Helyse could bet all she had that it depended of Krueger's humor if she would be tortured or not.

She laid her face between the arms. How she hated this situation…

It was that moment when she heard a scream and lifted up her head. It wasn't Freddy Krueger's voice, of course. … If she ever heard Krueger screaming in pain, she would be more than happy.

But it was the voice of _a child_…

"_He is killing…"_ She thought "_He is killing someone."_

"_Well… That is what he is _supposed_ to do, isn't it_?" A mocking voice answered in her mind. Instated of being unease by it, she didn't mind.

"_Yes… I suppose it is"_

She turned back, hesitating with the idea of following the sound of the screams.

"_You_ _shouldn't interfere and you know it" _The voice said, in a matter of fact, almost mocking way. "_Mind your own life as always and stay alive. This isn't your problem_"

"_No, it isn't…"_ But this time, it was different. It had been the voice of a child and this, somehow, changed it. There was a child there, being hurt and _she _was there as well.

The voice inside her laughed with evilness and coldness, without any happiness, just sardonic.

"_You? You never, ever, were the heroic type, Hell_..."

"_No, but this is different!" _

Having no wish to carry this conversation with herself, the girl sighed and start to walk in the direction of the screams. Not that she needed to do that, it seemed as if any way would take her to the Krueger's victim anyway.

"_You are crazy… You will be killed_"

"_At least, no one will cry over my dead body_"

"_You ARE crazy and you know it… And even MORE than just "crazy" just for keep talking with yourself in your mind_!"

She ignored this thought as she looked around, noticing the change of scenario. The walls weren't of pipes anymore, but yellows and of wood.

"_It's here… And what kind of nightmare is this?"_

Knowing that it surely couldn't be a good thing, she gulped before she kept going. As she walked, she noticed that all around her had changed. It all looked like a strange kind of house, though somewhat pretty, painted with happy colors…

So why did it strike her as such a bad thing?

She looked around, as if trying to figure out the reason and noticed something… The furniture was too shined… The floor seemed one just pieced thing… And now that she _was _paying attention around, Helyse could hear a sound of something running behind the walls, like little living beings with teeth. There was a sweet smell, but too strong and for it, it was actually nauseating. The colors, now, although still shining, seemed a bit false.

And her dress…

That when all the surroundings lost its importance to her, for a moment. _Dress?_

Helyse looked to herself and then ran to a mirror. The image was crooked and blotted, but she could see it clear enough: She was wearing a dress with a balloon skirt, pink with laces, black doll-style shoes, socks and gloves of laces. Her lion-colored hair was up in two pigtails. Coming closer of the mirror, she saw that she was wearing makeup: Rosy cheeks, red lips, and her face were all white, like porcelain…

She didn't have to be a genius to figure it out. That was a doll costume and this was a doll house. Of all the pathetical nonsense…

It was a new scream that woke Helyse of her shock and angry state, for she _was _angered, angered for being dressed that way… She couldn't help it and it forced her heart to beat faster than she was used to and _it_ did hurt her. However, at least now, she couldn't pay attention to it. She doubted she could leave now if she wanted to; it was as if that once she had entered that nightmare, she couldn't just leave at her will.

Helyse ran through the hallways, still listening to the sound of those beings in the walls, chewing something… Gnawing something. Before she could help herself, she imagined black creatures gnawing bones with blood in the floor and had to keep this idea off her mind.

Turning into another hallway, she hit something and almost fell but she immediately saw who the newest victim was.

It was a little girl.

Just a little girl.

She shouldn't be older than seven (eight at top) and was crying openly (no surprise). She was cute, with the darkest hair, made in two ponytails and she was also dressed like Helyse: Like a porcelain doll. With a moderate surprise, Helyse saw that she had some kind of cracks in her arms, which were bleeding. Some way, that child looked like she had turned into a real porcelain doll and just her big black eyes, which were pouring tears, proved that she was a living being and not just a bloodied doll.

"P-Please… Don't hurt me! D-Don't hurt me!"

Helyse was astounded. Krueger was giving her a hell of a nightmare, this child was beyond scared: She was frightened almost to death.

"I won't hurt you… I-I've" But she stopped. She had come here to what anyway? To help? Was it to help or had she been just curious? For a second she didn't know what to do, but then she decided that since she was here anyway, it didn't truly matter why she had come, what mattered was what she would do now. "I've come to help you… What's your name?"

A spark of hope seemed to shine in those eyes. Helyse felt somewhat touched in a way she couldn't explain… Children seemed always so eager to believe that in a bad situation, anyone who comes saying "I've come to help" gets their trust… It made her think about people who approached upset children and ended up kidnapping them.

"True, miss?" The girl grabbed Helyse's dress "I-I'm Amanda… Please, miss! Take me out here! I… I am afraid!"

Helyse never had really _liked_ children, but in that moment, she felt pity towards that one. She still could hear those strange sounds… Now, closer and closer. And since now she was also eager to get out of that place, no harm in take the girl in the way.

"_Curiosity killed the cat, why didn't I stay away?"_

She was about to ask about the nightmare that Amanda was having, if she already had dreamt with Krueger before, but Amanda screamed louder than never, looking behind Helyse.

And Helyse saw…

And screamed to the point of feeling that her vocals cords would be tore apart.

Termites. But they weren't common termites… Helyse had already saw termites and they were small things, even that she and Amanda were now with a few centimeters height – She herself should be a 15 centimeters tall by now, by her counts- these termites shouldn't seem so big.

How big? To Helyse, they seemed big _enough_… A bit bigger than bulls… And coming right to her and Amanda.

"_RUN_!"

Helyse grabbed Amanda's hand without a second thought and pulled her, running faster than the little girl could keep up and to add more, Amanda had been running all the time and was tired, so Helyse ended up holding her in her arms while running.

They ended up going upstairs, Helyse entered a room and immediately put Amanda in the floor and started to push the furniture against the door. Maybe it wouldn't do any good, but it was better than nothing. She was already a bit sorry that she had got herself into this mess.

"_That won't stop those termites… Crap! You NEVER, ever, should go upstairs when you are being hunted, isn't it what everybody says, including I, when watching a terror movie? And, at the time to put it in practice, I screw all up? Yes, Helyse, you are a stupid! I shouldn't even be here_" She thought, furious with herself.

"M-Miss? Are we safe?' Amanda asked.

Helyse stopped for a moment, looking at her. Yes, she was somewhat sorry for coming to this nightmare, but not so much as she would usually be… In other hand, she was feeling a bit well, in a simple way: Amanda had been needing help. She had been near. She had come to help... It was as if these little details made her decision okay, despite the outcome. A long time ago she had forgotten how it was to have feelings. For years, she had been nothing but an empty shell with limited amount of feelings (and they were also limited in complexity and strength, as if they were not feelings at all and just shadows of feelings)…

One of the feelings she had been "able" to still have was fear. But now she could feel it with such intensity again that it seemed to be shaking her.

Could she regret _that?_

Could she regret _helping _a child like this?

All those thoughts passed by her mind in less than a second.

"_A child like…" _She didn't finish the thought for several reasons. First of all, that didn't seem like a proper time to start thinking about such things.

"I don't think so, but that will buy us some time…" She answered, hoping she was right. At least once.

Honestly, she wasn't very surprised to learn that she was out of luck.

"Do you really think that, little bitch?" Said a voice. Both lifted theirs heads and Amanda started to scream again, sounding like an insane person. Freddy Krueger had taken off the roof of the doll house and was looking to them as he would look at two mice that were about to be eaten by a snake.

"Why are you screaming, Amanda?" He laughed in an innocent-like way. "You're the one who said that you liked to play with dolls"

Amanda ran to Helyse and hided her face in the dress of the blonde, as if thinking that Helyse could protect her… And they could already hear the termites biting at the door, their pincers hitting each other, pounding. And Helyse had the vision of herself stuck in these pincers, being torn apart… Her blood dropping and the termites coming closer of her body, wanting a piece of meat…

"Oh, stop that, will you? The things didn't even come in and you are already seeing you death already!" She thought, almost slapping herself.

Of sudden, she smelled fire and, looking up, saw Krueger holding a match burning.

"_Oh, no! We're already impounded by termites and now this?"_

Freddy smiled to Helyse.

"I told _you_ to not interfere in my business, didn't I? So, you're the one to blame to be here at all." Without waiting for an answer, he dropped the match over the bed of wood and plastic, which started to burn easily, flooding the room with the smell of fire and burnt plastic.

Amanda was hysterical. Helyse held her by her shoulders and slapped her, trying to wake the little girl.

Nothing happened.

"Amanda… Amanda, wake up!" Said Helyse, shaking the girl.

"I-I t-tried!" Sobbed the little one "M-My brother s-said that if I dreamt w-with the man with c-c-claws, I had to t-try wake myself and I s-slapped myself, but i-it didn't worked"

Helyse saw the problem: Amanda was the kind of person who had heavy sleep. Just a slap wouldn't be enough to wake her. The girl had shadows around the eyes, so she probably didn't sleep some time ago… Now she was in a too deep sleep.

Nothing of that surprised Helyse.

The fire was devouring everything, the furniture was being put away by the termites and there were holes in the wall, through where they could see the termites, biting the airs and actually drooling like dogs.

"_I have to wake her! But I don't want hurt her too much… I never ever slapped a child before anyway_" Helyse thought. Not liking children didn't mean she enjoyed to hurt them.

And she was trying to shut up her own mind who was telling "_I told you_".

The truth was that if Amanda didn't wake anyway, she would die either burned or eaten and that was the only thing that made Helyse did what she did: She took a table lamp of plastic and looked to Amanda. The child was looking to her as if thinking that Helyse had gone nuts.

"What's your brother's name?"

"K-Kurt Locker…"

"Tell him that Helyse sent a hello" she said bitterly, almost with despise.

The girl nodded and Helyse swung the table lamp down to her head with all her strength, thanking that Amanda hadn't stepped behind… Maybe she had gotten Helyse's plan, whatever, it didn't make any difference.

"YOU DAMNED SLUT!" Screamed Krueger, with a voice that made the floor of the little house shiver. Helyse was afraid now, for herself. Very afraid… Just his voice was so full of a hate and fury that she didn't think that any human being could feel. His black eyes were cold and full of hateful and killing desires. She couldn't face him without feeling _fear_.

But she couldn't run anymore. The termites were in the room and she was in the middle of the fire…

"_It's over… I'll die_…" She thought when a termite came closer, dribbling…

But a big piece of meat came of sky and held her, lifting her up. The girl was shocked of seeing that Krueger had caught her in his hand. Even so, she could bet anything that it wasn't really to save her that he had caught her.

"I told you to not interfere if you didn't want to die!" He said, keeping her so close that his breath seemed to be suffocating her "You are really teasing me, aren't you?"

The girl thought in a lot of answers, but prudence told her to keep her mouth shut and she guessed she should obey, at least this time, even if her tongue was scratching to say a sardonic answer.

He held her so firm that Helyse barely could breathe and was sure that Krueger had broken one or two bones of her. She just saw flashes of white light of pain and felt her body being smashed under the force of Krueger. He seemed want to crush her from inside out.

Then he just dropped her.

Helyse, who was expecting to fall in the wooden floor, in the middle of fire and termites, saw herself in the floor of the boiler room.

"_At least, I am not in that stupid dress anymore."_ She muttered to herself, standing up.

But then she saw the place change again…. It was a dark room, cold… She recognized it and panic, the real panic, closed her throat. All sense seemed to melt away as well as the sense of where she _really_ was.

"No… No, not _this_… He can't... He doesn't have _how_ to know…"

Unable to think and to feel anything that wasn't the strongest dread of all, she stayed there for a few seconds before she got on her knees and hugged her legs. The room was colder than ice, darker than night "_As my heart is now…"_ she thought, with venom and despise, but directed to herself.

There wasn't any window, any hole of where light could came in. There was nothing… Absolutely nothing but darkness and the chains which were trapping her… Cold chains, so tight to the point of mark her skin and cut if she moved around too much.

The door opened and a man came in. He had a candle, but his face weren't illuminate by it… His steps were heavy and brute and when he spoke, there wasn't anything but contempt, even disgust.

"Still alive?" He asked, half mocking and half disgusted. Helyse, lost in herself, forgot that it was a nightmare and not real, but a punishment of Krueger for her interference in his business, for saving a girl, who was nothing but a victim to him.

"How you want me to die if you feed me?" She managed to say, thought she couldn't believe she had the courage to even make a sound. Only that was already worth so much pain later…

"It's you who eats, I just bring the food. What you mother would say if she knew that I am not treating you well?" He laughed. Laughed at her pain, at her loneliness… Laughed and laughed…

Helyse covered her ears with her hands.

"LISTEN ME WHEN I TALK TO YOU!" He screamed, pulling her wrists and starting to hit her.

Not with hands. Not with a girdle. Not… He was punching her with something hard and heavy… Something cutting… Something that passed in her skin and took blood and flesh…

In some moment, felling the object splitting in four in the middle of a blow, she faced him. Not, the place was again the boiler room and who was hitting her was Freddy Krueger, hitting her with his glove.

Hurt, humiliated, she decided to not move until he had left. Krueger pulled her by her hair, in a way that their faces were a few centimeters of distance.

"Next time, it'll be worse… Next time, bitch, I'll make you know the very _hell_"

When he was going away, he heard a muttered of her.

"I already know it…"


	5. Chapter Five: Song of Death

**Chapter Five – Song of Death **

Helyse had decided to obey Krueger… She couldn't just go against him; the very idea was nothing but a big foolishness. She had spent a considerable time still after he had "punished" her... Not only because of the physical pain, but because of _everything_… The memories, thanks to Krueger, had come back… Now it was as if she had gone back in time, back to being that little girl chained in a dark and cold room, just in company of the darkness, coldness and her own nightmares. Weak, alone and lost…

How she _hated_ herself for all that.

Now, finally, she had understood… She had been very stupid, she didn't care about dying, but she didn't want to _suffer_. And Krueger wouldn't _kill_ her (by now, at least) just make her suffer. She didn't want to imagine how much he had seen of these memories.

_Particular _memories, by the way and God, she hoped he hadn't seen how that time of her life had ended.

Stupid, that what she was, seeing death like a flight of pain. That was okay, but going against Freddy wouldn't bring death, yet. Pain was all that she would have in that Dream World until Freddy had got all he wanted of her…

And it was fear.

It was best if she stayed in her own. Like always…

It wasn't different of school…

It was the same thing…

She kept being just a hateful shell without feelings…

The one anybody ever cared to.

Nothing would change…

_Never_.

For long was she in coma by now? Days? Weeks? Years?

It made difference? Helyse didn't think so.

Lately, she used to pass all the time as far as she could of Freddy Krueger… Just wandering by the boiler room, between the pipes, going up and downstairs, like a ghost stuck in the place where it died. There wasn't much else to do anyway.

What she didn't allow herself to do was crying. Maybe she just not remembered how to (more possible)… From time to time, she could hear screams. Just like now.

No one had to be a genius to know what was happening: Freddy Krueger was killing again.

**XxX**

Taýra Pierce took some steps back. She didn't remember when she had fallen asleep… But that didn't matter… And she registered in her mind how curious it was that how few things _did_ matter in that place, but come on, in that place you were in a constant death danger, so of course there was few things that would matter.

Freddy came closer, without hurry and seemed to be enjoying himself.

"_Like a cat that is going to kill a rat"_ she thought, with incoherence.

"Won't you run? Nor fight? C'mon…" He laughed "The courageous Taýra is reveling herself a scared little rat?"

To Taýra, who used to have fight classes at school, what he said did strike her as an offense, however she had had enough dreams with Krueger by now to know that against him, she had no chances. He was getting stronger and stronger, though she didn't understand why.

"Ho… How you are getting more strength? _How_?" It didn't seem fair, but Taýra wouldn't be dumb to say such a thing. Krueger's notion of "fair" and "unfair" probably were twisted; after all, he was a killer. A murderer.

Freddy laughed, that was just _ridiculous_. That stupid whore thought that she could make him _tell_? Or maybe no one had get the so-simple outline of letting the girl Blake or whatever-was-her-name alive, as a strength source? It was so obvious he had imagined they would figure it out in a matter of minutes, especially after Locker's sister had probably told them about how that blonde cow had helped her.

Stupid disgusting brats, they were all so _dumb_…

He lifted his hand, showing his metal claws to Taýra, as a reminder of what he would do when he caught her.

"Don't you think you should be more worried about _yourself_?"

He noticed that, in the up floor, a bit hidden by the shadows of the pipes, Helyse was watching them. Freddy didn't mind that she watched, he was certain that after the punishment he had given to her, the young girl wouldn't dare mess all up this time.

Taýra did not notice the girl above as she was too busy. Slowly, she started to walk back and as she looked around, the young girl noticed that the boiler room was now a labyrinth of pipes, with few lights.

She didn't cry out, she didn't even look around for more than a second; the only thing she did was to turn around and start to run away from him… Taýra _hated_ labyrinths…

Freddy, without any hurry, followed her, while scratching the pipes with his claws.

But, above the sound of steps which echoed in the room, above the sound of claws against the pipes… There was another sound and this sound was the voice of Helyse…

The girl was singing.

_Catch me as I fall_  
_Say you're here and it's all over now_  
_Speaking to the atmosphere_  
_No one's here and I fall into myself_  
_This truth drives me into madness_  
_I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away_

Her voice echoed in the hallways ghostly and the melody came together with naturalness almost creepy. Her voice, so insensitive and softly changed when she sang: Now, it had at least _some_ feelings and the both that were hearing it in the labyrinth could feel something dark in that voice. It was a bit scary, almost as listening to a ghost trying to remember how it was to have feelings…

But for Helyse it was something good and lovely, one of the few things that she _loved_ to do and living alone as she did, she had to do _something_ to keep her mind busy when she had done all the work at home.

Taýra ran through the hallways and a sharp, excruciating pain seemed to burn her feet and looking down, she saw that all floor was covered by pieces of glass, which had almost ripped the sole of her shoes and behind her, there were her footsteps colored in a deep red.

Freddy, keeping track of his victim, was surprised by the pieces of glass… He hadn't created them, so how...? Suddenly, he looked behind… Helyse was still there and singing more to herself than for anyone else and seemed to be in a trance, as if turned off from the world.

In the moment that she had sung that she could stop the pain she, unconsciously, had made a piece of glass appear in her hand and it had cut her palm, though she didn't seem to notice that… Somehow, she was the one who had had made all those pieces appear in the floor.

Freddy didn't mind this and gave her his back, more busy with killing Taýra.

_Don't turn away_  
_Don't give in to the pain_  
_Don't try to hide_  
_Though they're screaming your name_  
_Don't close your eyes_  
_God knows what lies behind them_  
_Don't turn out the light_  
_Never sleep never die_

Things with blood-red and yellow eyes appeared between the pipes and they could be heard muttering and sometimes they sounded as if they were calling someone. The fire in the boilers felt now strangely cold…

Helyse had no intentions of helping Krueger or Taýra at all. She didn't noticed what she was doing while sung, making the piece of glass appear in her hand. She was doing it just to ease her own pain and wasn't even aware of it…

Run, hide… She had tried it since she was a child… But no. There was nothing to her. Just the darkness, the cold and the fear… The sadness and the lack of hope kept until now, like a dose of poison in her organism and maybe it was that what had killed her heart. Killed wasn't really a good term, but was the best she had.

Panic stricken, Taýra ran more and more, leaving a trail of blood and every step she took, the glasses went deep in her flesh… She had never felt such fear in her entire life (or pain) and that echoing song in that dark wasn't helping… If anything, it just made her blood freeze and she didn't know where to run.

_I'm frightened by what I see_  
_But somehow I know that there's much more to come_  
_Immobilized by my fear_  
_And soon to be blinded by tears_  
_I can stop the pain if I will it all away_

Helyse lifted the piece of glass, which shined weakly in the light of the fire, stained in blood. Yes… That place made her relive all the pain; all that she saw made her remember her old days. And she wished she could ease her pain truly… And one way to do it was by death, she knew it. To die and end all that… Death was a relief and she knew it, but even so… She couldn't. Even today, she was afraid of killing herself.

Taýra couldn't stand anymore… She could feel Freddy Krueger coming closer, could hear his boots smashing the glass and she knew she wouldn't be able to fight him… If she could just wake up or run a little more... If at least her feet weren't so hurt…

And that song was distracting her as well. It went in her ears and gave her a strange angst and sorrow to which ones, no one had any rational explanation. It felt like someone was taking off her heart and enveloping it in small crystals, sharp and cutting and there was just hurt and coldness, hurt and coldness… Nothing to warm or cure it. No feelings, no love, no joy, no hope, not even hate… As if she never _had been_ loved, as if no one had ever tried making her laugh or be happy… Like she never had felt these things because no one had felt towards her, so, she simply hadn't _learned _how to feel it. Or, if she had, it had been so long ago that now it was just a ghostly and fog memory, like the ashes remains after the fire is out.

_Don't turn away_  
_[Don't give in to the pain]_  
_Don't try to hide_  
_[Though they're screaming your name]_  
_Don't close your eyes_  
_[God knows what lies behind them]_  
_Don't turn out the light_  
_[Never sleep never die]_

Helyse would have laughed if she could. Never sleep, yes, right, but she wasn't asleep, she was in coma and _would_ die soon, she was sure that was just a matter of time. Before that damned coma, Helyse already had nightmares… _Not_ with Freddy Krueger, but with a dark, cold place and that man hitting her, making her suffer and enjoying it, laughing at her pain as if it was just a comedy. An absolute loneliness, to the point of almost drove her crazy and made her believe that someone was calling her name… But it was imagination, it was always her imagination.

Could be, after all, she was crazy? Had she gone insane and hadn't notice it?

Did that matter?

Taýra fell, her feet engulfed by pain and unable to carry on. Her beautiful face was pricked and cut by the glasses and one of them almost went in her eye. She tried to stand up, but felt someone stepping in her back, making her belly sink in the pieces of glass and her scream echoed through the hallways.

"Got ya"

The red haired girl fought to stand or set herself free, but failed. Freddy lead his foot on her head, forcing her face against the floor and rubbing it as if she was an old doll.

Taýra tried to resist, crying of fear and pain, the pieces of glasses going deep in her flesh, blood soaking her face, her skin tore…

_Fallen angels at my feet_  
_Whispered voices at my ear_  
_Death before my eyes_  
_Lying next to me I fear_  
_She beckons me shall I give in_  
_Upon my end shall I begin?_  
_Forsaking all I've fallen for I rise to meet the end_

Taýra screamed while her face was being rubbed in the floor, against the sharp pieces, which were going into her mouth, eyes and nose… It was like a beach of glass. Above her, Freddy was laughing watching the girl struggling, fighting for her pointless life.

Her blood painted the glasses of red and the fire reflected over them, making seem a sea of blood… Or a strange kind of rainbow of death…

As if accompanying of close the death of the girl, Helyse's voice now was full of emotions (or at least shades of it): Pain, suffering, regretting… But all them were about herself and not about Taýra or Freddy. Her voice echoed between the pipes, as if coming of far away...

_Don't turn away_  
_[Don't give in to the pain]_  
_Don't try to hide_  
_[Though they're screaming your name]_  
_Don't close your eyes_  
_[God knows what lies behind them]_  
_Don't turn out the light_  
_Never sleep never die_

Freddy released the girl. She had stopped moving and, imagining the face that her parents would do seeing the condition of their daughter and how she had suffered before dying, he laughed. Indeed, that small unintentional detail of Helyse had made things better. Sarcastically, he wondered if he owned her a "thank you".

He knew that she hadn't noticed that had ended up interfering again. Neither Freddy could imagine that it would happen from a simple song… Of course that, like always, he would have liked better if she had kept herself out his business, which meant: With her mouth shut.

When he went back, he noticed that there was blood in the floor and Helyse had disappeared. Not that she was dead, she had just hurt herself a bit (had she done that on purpose or had she been so lost in her thoughts that she just realized that she was holding the glass to strongly when she stopped singing?) and walked away. He noticed that, strangely, that girl had almost no feelings and when she had, they were all so weak that she barely recognized them. Just when she was being hurt that she felt fear and sorrow and when she sung, there were some others (but he couldn't recognize some, so faded they were)… In other occasions, there was nothing. No fear, not even anger or hate, nothing.

It was weird, all right.

Not that he gave a damn about it. The one thing he cared about her was the strength that he was taking of her fear… And there was a lot of it and if he had to hurt her to get it, that was what he would do.

Well, at least he was having a little _fun_ with her before he finished her off…

**XxX**

Meanwhile, Helyse walked like a zombie through the hallways. Her eyes seemed lost and the palm of her right hand dropped and dropped a deep red blood in small drops... She hadn't go see the body of Krueger's last victim and neither noticed that she had interfered…

She just kept walking and muttering, low…

_Don't turn away_  
_[Don't give in to the pain]_  
_Don't try to hide_  
_[Though they're screaming your name]_  
_Don't close your eyes_  
_[God knows what lies behind them]_  
_Don't turn out the light_  
_Never sleep never die_

She looked to her hand and muttered, serious. Not singing anymore, just muttering the words.

'_I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away…_'

In the darkness, her voice echoed… It sounded like a mantra whispered by someone who had lost contact with the reality...

'_I can stop the pain if I will it all away…_'

She willed it all away… She wished it would just stop…

'_I can stop the pain if I will it all away…_'

She didn't care about her feelings, she didn't wish them back, the only thing she wished was for those memories to disappear and lately they were coming back and, who knew, even if they were just memories, they hurt just the same.

'_I can stop the pain_…'

She looked down… And saw a piece of glass, wet in the blood of Taýra. Helyse noticed with a fair curiosity that its color was lighter than hers.

She held it and looked, lost in her own thoughts.

'_I can stop the pain…_' She said again...

Her voice echoed in the darkness...

* * *

**Song used: "_Whisper" _by Evanescence. **


	6. Chapter Six: The Shadow in Her Soul

** Chapter Six – The Shadow in Her Soul **

Strangely enough, Helyse felt as if she was already a bit used to that routine. Not that she liked it (who would?), but was used to it, even of how time seemed to be passing slower than never... Since Krueger had killed that red haired girl, Taýra, he hadn't killed anyone else (at least, not the she had seen). Helyse had seen the corpse, just a bit, before it disappeared.

Even with her face all burst, she had confirmed that it was really Taýra and she hadn't been mistaken. And Helyse hadn't felt even a bit sorry and neither had tried to. Deep inside, she wasn't used to care about her classmates and Taýra never had been really friendly with her, so why bother? It wasn't like it had been with Amanda, who was just a helpless _child_.

In the moment, Helyse knew that Krueger was sharpening his claws of the glove. He used to do it a lot… In the first time, she just had observed, a bit hidden by a pipe. If he had noticed that she was there, he didn't say anything.

After sometime, she had started to stay closer while he was doing it. She never said anything, just sat and watched him working on the claws, always keeping a safe distance.

Freddy, at the beginning, hadn't liked not even a bit of her presence while he was working in his glove, but hadn't ordered her to go away… He didn't know why, but he was not used to her watching him at these times. Not that it happened all the time, truth to be told it was rare for them to stay so close (unless he was hurting her). Helyse rarely went to watch that kind of 'work'. Usually, she made good use of it to walk around the boiler room with more safety…

It was strange, but somehow, they were a bit used to each other as time passed by.

Helyse really _liked_ when Krueger was taking care of his blades for it was when she felt more safer to walk around certain that she wouldn't listen the screams of a new victim or that Krueger wouldn't get busy making something to make her feel pain and fear… He already had done such things that had made her hysterical of agony.

Even so, sometimes, she liked to watch him in these moments of 'glove-work' as she thought of it... They never talked to each other, but at least she wasn't all alone, on the contrary she would have gone insane because would be like be stuck in a big solitary room… However, she wasn't stupid. As soon as she noticed that Freddy was working on the last claw, she stood up and walked away calmly, but when she was a bit far away and Krueger couldn't see her, she would start to run as faster she could.

It was useless, of course. He always caught her, but she somehow running felt better than just stay there and just let him hurt her.

These weren't just the safer moments to walk but to sing as well (there wasn't anything to do anyway and eventually, she would get bored). When she didn't know what he was doing, she would sing just low, trying to not call too much attention to herself and when he was busy, just like now, she kept herself as far as possible and then, sang as she pleased. Helyse would stay away because she had decided that it would be better to not annoy Krueger and she didn't want him to hear her…

But what she didn't know was that didn't matter how far she went… Krueger always heard to her.

At the very first time, after Taýra's death, he had been absolutely furious and had to use all his self-control to not tear her apart, just to make her shut up. He had fancied many ways, all very fun, to silence her… Sew her mouth; take off her vocal cords…

But no, not yet, he had to be patience… But he didn't think he would stand for much longer. That girl was supportable as she usually was: With her mouth shut, away from him and the more scared, the best. By other hand, he hadn't forget what had happened when she hand sing while he was killing Taýra. It was very strange that she had interfered in that way, even if it was unconsciously.

That Blake girl was a mystery and sometimes, she confused him.

He couldn't really see _all_ inside her mind, he could just see some scenes of her chained in a dark cold place, but couldn't see who had hurt her, neither for how long or in what ways… So, he had to be creative when he was scaring and hurting her a bit more than normal.

She was a mysterious yet delicious challenge for him and his killing abilities.

A little annoyed with himself, he sharpened even more his claws, making yellow and white sparks flew around. She was starting to unsettle him. He had met a lot of girls, who he had killed, but no one like her... No one with that way... There was something different with her and he didn't know what.

As if his thought was a tip, Helyse's voice sounded in the middle of the darkness of the room. She was far away, but her voice sounded as if she was at his side… Not that she was singing out loud, but it was how this place (his territory) worked.

Her voice was low, somewhat dark... Like a strange poison. In those times, he was sure: There WAS something in the deep of her soul... Something dark and cold... Twisted, perhaps? He was not curious of what that could be. The only curiosity he felt regarding Blake was how her last scream of agony would sound and what pleas she would say…

He smiled, looking to his claws and picturing them wet with her blood…

**XxX**

Helyse was walking barefooted over the pipes. She wasn't worried with how much time she already was in coma. Her new and real worry was what would be the next 'adorable' surprise that Krueger would do to her…

She wasn't afraid anymore… She was freaked out.

_Living everyday through this nightmare_  
_no signs of waking up_  
_Surrounded by my fear and frustration_  
_paralyzed here I stand_

Her heart was often beating too fast because of the tension… She was covered with curatives… She was stuck in a damn place and she didn't think she would wake anymore. How would the doctors react in the day when they would enter in her room… And find a dead, deformed corpse in her place?

Freddy lifted his head when he heard the word 'nightmare', smiling with an evil pleasure… Yes, she was scared and he could feel it. In the end, she was just like the others in that point. She pretended to be strong, maybe even believed it, but in that place, all fear came out. And the fear was real… The nightmares were real...

The pain was real…

Death was real…

_So I surrender now, and give up on myself  
Been sinking for so long, I'm one to deep now  
How much more can I bear? Seems no one even cares  
I'm drown in a sea of desperation_

He started to sharp his claws again, but his ears were attentive at the girl's voice. He wanted to discover more about her weakness, torture her more and more… Until she was on her knees, begging for mercy and death. But it was good known that she was lost in herself… With a bit of anger, he had to admit it, seemed that she was lost since before the nightmares….

"_So, I'll make your situation even worse_…"

**XxX**

_Suicide, the comfort that I crave  
Kill me now and send me to my grave  
Suicide, you're listening to me  
Let me die and finally be free_

No, she didn't want to kill herself… Not that she was afraid to die, it wasn't like that. The fact that she didn't care about dying didn't mean she _wanted_ to kill herself. If Krueger came to _kill_ her, really to finish her off, she wasn't sure she would fight or not... Death itself didn't scare her and didn't seem so bad…

She had heard, many times, that there one salvation that existed was love, but that was something that she _never_ had in her life…

**XxX**

_Suicide, salvation from my pain  
My demise humanity to blame  
Suicide, my life is in your hands  
Suicide, stay by my side_

Krueger tested his glove at the light of the fire. Not bad… The blades were great as always, ready to rip flesh as if it was butter, cutting veins and making the blood gush…

Yes, the life of that bitch Blake _belonged_ to _him_. He would take care of her really soon. He knew that she was getting used to that place and, therefore, there was the risk that sometime she could stop to feel fear.

He decided that this would be when he would kill her…

Krueger laughed to himself, thinking about the scene… In the hospital that she was, doctors would be in terror, seeing her dying and unable to help her… And she, bleeding and with pain, at his feet… Begging, crying…

After all, even she, who was so heartless (there wasn't any other word he could think to describe it), would cry and beg. All these stupid brats did that and she wouldn't be different…

Would she?

**XxX**

_I've tried over and over again,  
still you see, I can't hang on  
Hopelessly I lie and wait for redemption,  
as I slowly drift away_

Indeed, she _had_ tried… No one could say she _hadn't_. Tried to adapt, to make friends, to have a normal life… But no. She supposed sometimes, the past could not be cured and you would just have to learn how to live with all the scars and pain that would remain… Helyse had to hold a laugh… Oh yes… A person had destroyed her inside, but had paid. Sure, had paid…

A second after this thought, she realized she should be sick of herself…

She was.

But she wasn't sorry. And _that _was what made her disgusted.

**XxX**

He had listened that before. If there was one thing that never changed in these children was that detail… They weren't ever happy and were always sobbing, making themselves of 'pitiful ones', saying that they had suffered and all around them were incomprehensive…

They didn't know what pain was, but when they met him, they learned…

"_The physical pain, Freddy…"_ Said a voice in his mind "_There are others kinds of pain and you know it…"_

Freddy choose to not listen to that voice. He knew very well there were others kinds of pain because he knew all them very well.

**XxX**

_Drink of the poison now and take my final bow  
Don't know what lies ahead I'll take that chance though  
For all that I've been through don't know what else to do  
(I kiss my life goodbye so hear my last words...)_

It couldn't be different… She knew that. The past influences the future, so there's no way to just say "_forget what happened, it is in the past now". _In her opinion, that phrase should be labeled as one of the dumbest things ever said.

"_If past influences the future…"_ She thought suddenly "_What made Krueger be what he is today?"_

It was an interesting question. Silly, but interesting, after all why would she worry about _his_ past? Helyse always tried to simplify things and, in her actual situation, that wasn't hard.

Krueger was going to kill her. She didn't know when, but knew that he would… So, she wouldn't stay wondering or bothering herself with such things.

Even so, that question bothered her a bit.

**XxX**

He could feel how afraid and uneasy she was. And that was very afraid, near to hysteria, but she didn't show it. It didn't seem, but that experience was being quite traumatic to her. He didn't have to torture her all the time… That place was a torture already.

And really, why not?

It was a bit like when a person is suffering from insomnia and even so, tries to fall asleep and where she moves around her bed, trying (almost desperately) to fall asleep, thoughts and memories start to plague her. At night, alone in the dark and silence, it seems the perfect time for the sad memories and depressing thoughts to come. During day, people are always working, or thinking about what needs to be done, it is easy to push such thoughts aside, but at night… Oh, is different.

This place, in comparison, was similar to this situation. There was nothing to do, nothing she could use to distract herself (except singing and this didn't help so much as she would have liked) and so, the thoughts and memories came to her mind and bothered, depressed and scared her.

Sometimes, he played with her, just giving her more reasons to be afraid. Once, he did a bunch of black rats ran after herm and had laughed a lot watching as she ran, trying to escape. She had tripped and the black and untidy rats had gone over her body, biting.

She had screamed.

But she hadn't begged.

**XxX**

_Suicide the comfort that I crave  
Kill me now and send me to my grave  
Suicide you're listening to me  
Let me die and finally be free_

She would give anything to wake up… She'd rather go back to her normal life where at least she hadn't to deal with so much stress… The pressure was growing and growing and she was sure that it was missing just a little bit for her to die of pure strained… Well, if it was this how she was going to die, she wanted it to happens really soon. Despite all the fear, she couldn't deny this was getting tiresome and was starting to get on her nerves (and Helyse had spent quite some time to figure that she was getting _annoyed_).

She hadn't interior balance… She hadn't feelings. Helyse had forgotten of it for so long that now her few feelings were too weak. So weak, that she almost couldn't feel it… She was quite hollow…

But now she was feeling fear… More than just fear, it was panic.

Her mind, body and heart weren't used to feelings so strong and that was part of the pressure and, to make things harder, Helyse hadn't a 'good' feeling to make balance to the negative force of those feelings she had now.

Helyse didn't know, but her body couldn't bare this shock much longer…

_Suicide salvation from my pain  
My demise humanity to blame  
Suicide my life is in your hands  
Suicide stay by my side_

**XxX**

Now that he had finished the work in his glove, Krueger thought about torturing the girl a little bit. It was still day in Springwood and there wasn't anybody sleeping in the class, sadly. So, he hadn't any fun…

He already had an idea of what to do this time, but for some reason, he didn't want to attack Helyse now… Not that he cared about her (or liked to hear her), but…

He stood and walked through the hallways, nor needing her voice to guide him to her.

He liked to see her tired expression and the horror that appeared in her face very time that she noticed that he was about to hurt her again…

Krueger had to admit that she had changed. Not much, but there was change all right. The life in that place had changed her… She was thinner, seemed anorexic. Her lion's fur colored hair was fallen, without life and even seemed a bit grayish. She had black shadows under her eyes…

She was finished. A total mess.

**XxX**

_Suicide, be my guide, embrace me now, so I can die_

The only being that would embrace her would be Death itself.

Helyse stopped, hearing steps coming closer… She knew what would happen, she knew that she couldn't escape, so she just waited… Krueger had done with the claws and now he was coming to torture her…

**XxX**

He saw her standing there, waiting. Like an animal, she already knew that she couldn't run of the nightmare… At least she wasn't stupid. She waited, but when she saw the new horror that he had make to her, she ended up running anyway…

He already had used many things against her. Never had got to the point of really kill her, but got close of that…

It was fun, right?

**XxX**

They stared to each other. Her deep, cold blue eyes, just like ocean… His, dark and cold, black and full of hateful feelings.

_Suicide the comfort that I crave  
Kill me now and send me to my grave  
Suicide you're listening to me  
Let me die and finally be free  
Suicide salvation from my pain  
My demise humanity to blame  
Suicide my life is in your hands  
Suicide stay by my side_

She sang the last verse and kept quiet for she never had sang in front of him before, but she just couldn't help herself. A time ago, music used to put her in a state of mind of almost weak happiness… A happiness so ephemeral, weak, frivolous, that didn't have real a name.

Freddy glared at her… She sighed, looking for a rest of courage, which she already didn't have.

"Ready to run?" He asked, smiling seeing the deplorable state that she was reduced to.

She saw behind him, the darkness coming… The darkness that sucked her to moments of humiliation and pain… She could feel the cold and heard laughs that came of that darkness.

The darkness took form… The fear, the pure horror, flood her and her heart started to beat faster, sending adrenaline to all her body… She started to run as faster as she could; hearing that nightmare of pain and blood coming after her…

She tripped next to a main rail and fell… Not in the floor but in a big and nasty web of a spider… Freddy, always close, just chuckled coldly...

The darkness came closer, taking Helyse to its interior...

And the girl was screaming...


	7. Chapter Seven: A Talk

** Chapter Seven – A Talk**

She sat in silence near a boiler, hearing the fire crepitating. Her eyes hadn't any shine (they they rarely had any, so that wasn't surprising) and was lost in her own memories. In that place, sadly, she didn't have too much to do to keep her mind busy.

Except run of Krueger, but that wasn't enough to distract her. In times like that, if Krueger happened to be sharpening his claws, she would sit near him. Helyse already thought that she was crazy just for being near to the man who used to torture her just so he could feed from her fear.

She watched as he sharpened one of his claws and as sparkles flew around, she wondered for it seemed that except for killing people, Krueger didn't much also.

"_I must be crazy. As if his hobbies mattered to me_…" She thought with bitterness. Helyse was shrunken, with her hands over her knees and then, before she could notice what she was doing, she let a phrase escape.

"_How long?"_

Freddy turned his eyes of the glove and stared to her as if just now he had noticed that she was there. And as if she was crazy, just like she was almost certain that she was. However, he blinked. Was she wondering for how long he would keep her alive? He was about to answer when he had a strong feeling that this wasn't the meaning of her question.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

She repeated her question, in a whisper. He noticed that, despite so emotionless, her voice was quite serene.

"How long… How long have I been here?"

Freddy turned his attention back to the glove, ignoring her for some seconds and just when Helyse was considering that she should just stand and walk away before he decided to attack her.

"Almost two weeks." His voice became sadistic "I bet that your family and little friends are _worried to death_…"

Helyse didn't mind the provocation. Two _weeks_? Just _that_? She was surprised by it and whispered, as if she was talking to herself.

"It seems much more to me…"

The silence between them lasted for some minutes more, however, after that small trade of words, there was an impulse to keep the conversation. Helyse gave to this first and decided that, since they were "talking", she could take the opportunity to make a question that had been bugging her lately.

"Why do you need… A constant source of fear?" She had almost asked why he needed her, but wasn't _her _he needed. It was just her fear and anyone who had had the misfortune of falling in coma and ended up in that place would have suffered the same fate. It hadn't been fate or anything like that, it had been just an accident. "It seems like the others fear you a lot already"

Not that she blamed them, she just wished she hadn't been dragged to this situation that had nothing to do with her.

Krueger laughed.

"Fear it's never too much."

"_Well, I have to agree…"_ It wasn't a lie, Helyse had learned that, when we think that we're scared enough, there is always something that can happen to make us feel more and more fear. There are limits for how much fear a person can bear, but until people reach that limit, they are already begging for death.

Seemed that Krueger wasn't about to tell her what he was planning to do, so, she decided not ask it again. Though, surely, he would kill her. That was obvious. But what he had in store for the others? Was he planning to kill every child and teenager in Springwood?

Shocked, she noticed that Krueger had said something that she hadn't heard.

"Sorry?"

"I asked, whore, if you are not whining about your little friends I killed."

It was Helyse's turn to laugh and she would have if she wasn't sure he would think she was disrespecting him. She really wanted to laugh this time. She? Cry _their_ deaths? She couldn't and didn't want to. She could be called evil, cold, whatever they wanted, she wasn't even sorry. She didn't even care about them.

Right, Kurt had helped her, but she had awakened him and therefore, whatever debt she could have with him, was finished. They were even. That never meant that she started to care about him in anyway. Amanda, she had helped because she was just a little girl (and once she was there, Helyse had felt that she could help. Not even she was so heartless to the point of ignoring the plea of a child, at least she wasn't sure she was).

Taýra? She didn't spend more than a minute thinking about her and there hadn't been any sadness or pity inside her towards the other girl.

"No. If you really want know, not at all… I don't care." She hesitated. "Why do you call me 'bitch' and 'whore' all the time?"

"Because that is what you are. That's what woman are, ungrateful bitches that are just good to fuck and they live of that… And teenager girls are even worst."

Helyse was with her mouth open, staring at him in disbelief. Freddy noticed that and laughed, but she whispered.

"Some girls _are_ like that, but not _all_ of us."

He looked to her coldly. Sure, she would never admit that she was a damned little whore. People loved to pose as saints to everyone else.

"Of course… How I couldn't notice? You are still an innocent and pure little child…"

Freddy remembered very well how he couldn't know all about her, even if she was virgin or not. But a girl in her age? Virgin? It was easier Hell to turn itself in Heaven.

Helyse didn't want to talk about her inexistent love life with a man, and Freddy of all people. But she wasn't let him offend her and just walk away like that, not when his motives were so vain. She had been called that at school, but somehow it was different here.

"Well, it's kinda hard to have someone to feel interest in you when just talking with you can be a reason to be a joke in the class!" She replied, a bit angry and she realized she had said too much. Good, now that, it was definitely something she _didn't_ need now: a talk with a bit of emotion. She didn't remember when she had had an emotion in a talk, even if was angry. But if it was going to make her say more than she wanted to, then she wasn't sure she liked it.

Krueger was finished with the glove, but he didn't stand, just stared at her, still sitting in his chair.

"What?"

Helyse cursed in her mind and felt a need to move a bit, but she refused to. She wouldn't give him any signs that he had managed to make her uncomfortable (even if it wasn't the talking, but the fact that those feelings were making her feel sick).

"Nothing." She turned her face "Just that I am not a prostitute, ok? If you want to call me some names, could you at least call me by something that I really am?"

Freddy decided to enter in that little game that had been formed between them. There was something new in teasing that girl.

"And what you are?" He asked in a false sweet tone. Helyse did not answer. She didn't want to talk about herself; after all, she knew that Krueger wasn't interested in nothing she had to say, all he cared about were her fears.

Right?

He was asking the same thing to himself.

"_Maybe not… That girl is kinda interesting…"_ He thought and after it, he felt hate of himself. What her life mattered? He thought that she was not going to answer, but she stared to him with an expression that he had never seen. _Ever_.

"Why don't _you _ask to my _beloved little friends_? They will _love _to tell you, that I can guarantee"

More minutes in silence.

"Why you…" She thought in the right way to ask this without making him feeling the impulse to slash her face. "What happened to you?"

"What are you talking about _now_?" For God's sake, did she never talk things clear?

"Why do you have so much burns?" She looked right in his eyes and carried on "They seem very painful…"

That was Krueger's turn to hold a laugh. That was rich, how could _his _pain interest _he_r? Before he could give a rough answer, she noticed his expression and looked down.

"You don't need to tell me… After all, it isn't any of my business…"

But Krueger was angry with her, at least a little, and he didn't know why. Rationally speaking, she hadn't done _anything_ wrong nor said anything wrong… So why he was so perturbed with her way of speaking, of how she turned her deep-blue eyes away? There wasn't any reason for this and while he always hated teens, in the moment, there wasn't any reason to be _angry_ with her (and he realized that, despite all, he hadn't been angered with her from the very beginning of the conversation).

And damn to hell, why he was _curious_ about her? It wasn't a curiosity that could help him to use her fears; it was just a curiosity about her like _person_… Not as a source.

"And you?" He asked in a rude tone.

"What about me?" Now, she seemed a _lot_ confused, however she was cautious for she had noticed his anger. It looked like she didn't know that he couldn't see her fear with clearness… Well, if she didn't know, he wasn't telling her.

But her fears _were_ too complex, _felt_ too complex… How could she hide them? And how? He supposed that if he knew what they were, he would understand.

"That dark place… The chains…" He smiled cruelly seeing the look in her eyes. Fear. Pain. Agony, even… And he felt the strength of those feelings.

She didn't say anything and then he stood and came closer, but Helyse yet didn't move. He leaned to her and lifted her face with his claws, teasing the skin of her chin.

"C'mon… Tell what happened to Freddy… After all, we are having a little talk here, aren't we?" He mocked. But still, Helyse didn't talk and neither moved to avoid the touch of his claws with her face.

"Now, _that" _She answered and her voice wasn't more than a whisper, and her voice was somewhat sarcastic. "Isn't of _your _business."

Krueger really thought about using the old and good persuasion with her, but then he felt something. Someone was sleeping… A new brat was waiting to be killed. The excitement of the hunt already burning inside him, he decided he could deal with the girl later.

He released Helyse and started to walk away, but something made him turn back to her. The girl was looking the fire with a totally non-expression. The blue eyes were reflecting the flames and it made her eyes clearer… As if there were blue flames inside them.

"Hey, girl…"

Helyse looked to him, silently asking what he wanted. At least, he didn't have called her 'bitch'.

"Follow me."

Helyse saw no reason to not obey so she stood and did as he said, without knowing to where he was taking her and neither what he would do with her…


	8. Chapter Eight: Dream of Blood

** Chapter Eight- Dream of Blood **

"_I must be crazy…"_

Freddy wasn't really pleased with himself. What was that idea of taking the girl with him? What in hell had made him act like this? He was trying to tell himself that was to make her feel fear, but he knew that wasn't that. It was another thing that had impelled him to call her and tell her to come along.

At least, she wasn't asking anything, only following him in silence. Surely, she was curious as to what he was planning, but not questioning.

In the center of the boiler room there was a big jeep, the kind used to a trip in the mountains or something. The one who was sleeping was Scott Russo and Krueger knew that the boy loved cars and anything that had to do with it. He liked noisy big cars and races and this had given him an idea a while ago about how he would kill him.

Helyse didn't ask anything at all when she saw that big car, she just blinked with an air of little surprise. Freddy already was in the front seat when he noticed that she was just watching and hadn't moved.

"What are you waiting for, damn? Get in!"

The door of the lift seat opened by itself. Helyse didn't think that there would be any sort of safety being inside a car so big with a psychopathic killer driving, but she went in anyway. As soon as she sat, she just had time to hold the chair, because Krueger turned the car on and it started to tremble. Helyse wasn't sure she liked it, she had never been in a car like that. Was Krueger going to torture her? It didn't seem like that, but he was acting so weird.

Two snakes came from somewhere and held her like a seat belt. They didn't seem be about to bite, but didn't give any feeling of security either. She held the grab handle above the window with one hand and the seat with another and caught herself praying that Krueger would be a good driver, she had already had a car accident (which had put her in that mess to begin with) and didn't feel like having another one.

Then, she thought that was so ridiculous that she would have laughed (if she wasn't so insecure about doing so and not only because of Krueger). She was in a big jeep, with snakes as seat belt, at the side of a psychopath and she was worried if he had driving license?

"Please, tell me you HAVE a driving license!" She let is escape, fully knowing that she was sounding absolutely afraid. And that what she had just said was just plain damn pathetical.

Freddy laughed at her, amused by her nervous state. She seemed a little girl in her first time in the roller coast.

"Oh, don't worry, girl… _I am_ a good driver"

Helyse blinked. Was he making a joke? Or was he mocking her? The situation couldn't get any stranger. She looked through the window, sighing.

"Great… Now I'm sure I going to die…"

Freddy stepped in the accelerator and the car went ahead with a loud snore and they passed through a wall of pipes.

**XxX**

Scott was driving in a night race.

He was in the leadership, leaving everybody behind and eating dust. In the grandstand, Jessica Parker was with her friends and screaming his name, she looked beautiful as always and thought there were many voices; it was her voice that stood out the most.

The night couldn't be more perfect.

By the mirror of outside, he saw a red and green jeep appearing behind him. Angered, he looked at it. Seemed he still had an adversarial to beat… But maybe he hadn't to worry; he was far in front of…

The blood freeze inside his veins and he knew that all this was no more than a dream, turning now into a nightmare for it was Krueger who was driving! With a strong fear racing inside him, he stepped deep in the accelerator, but that was totally useless. Krueger was still coming closer in a greater speed…

"_Oh God!"_

He looked to the grandstand, but now it was full of corpses. Jessica Parker held Tayra Pierce's hand and they both lifted their hands, like celebrating and when they opened their mouths, they didn't scream, because flesh and blood burbled there and forbid them to speak… Parts of that putrid mass fell in the floor and their arms seemed be tearing apart, so rotten they were.

Scott tried to make his car go faster, but it was late… Freddy's car was at his side. The Dream Killer was laughing and there was a girl at his side who was leaning forward, trying to see who Freddy was trying to kill. Scott didn't remember her name, but he knew that she was of the school and was in coma. Kurt had talked a bit about it to the group and it seemed that she had helped his little sister, Amanda.

Krueger turned his car, hitting him as if trying to put him out of the 'race'… Or smash him, more probable.

Helyse wasn't finding forces not even to scream. For what she understood, Krueger hadn't taken her to be killed or tortured, but to watch someone's death. Well, she wasn't going to complain about it, except the way Krueger was driving.

"It's just a big crazy race, Scott!" Krueger screamed, almost denting Scott's car with his own.

The boy stepped on the accelerator again and with all his strength, praying and trying to stay out of Freddy's way… He just wanted to stay away while he thought in a way to wake up. Hitting his car on purpose was out of question, he could die doing it… If at least he could get out of car without being smashed or ran over…

Freddy turned his car again and went ahead in such way that the grille of his jeep practically stocked in Scott's stern.

The collision was one of the big ones. Scott almost hit his face in the flywheel and Helyse held the grab handle again, despite the fact that the snakes, either she liked or not, were strong seat belts and held her.

Freddy was laughing and mocking but Helyse turned to him, unable to stop herself of screaming. Later, she would want to hit herself for the amount of stupidity she was saying that time.

"Do you want to kill us all, you _crazy_?"

Freddy didn't answer, too concentrated in finish Scott off to care about what Helyse had to say.

Scott tried to release his car of Freddy's, but it was too hard. They were stuck to each other in a way that it was as if the cars were just one… But Freddy had the control…

And there was no way it could be good…

Krueger turned his car again, in the direction of grandstand. For the most Scott tried to turn his car away, he couldn't. He was sure that Krueger would crumple him inside his own car and the very idea filled him with panic. He had seen several accidents that happened in races and deep inside, despite how much he loved races, those accidents always managed to make him nervous.

In pure despair, he released himself of his safe belt. Indeed, Krueger was accelerating and denting his car against the grandstand. The living corpses seemed excited and extended their arms, saying things that Scott couldn't understand (and didn't want to).

Awkwardly, he jumped by the window, hurting himself in the way and started to run, hoping that Krueger didn't notice that he had got out the car and that he could find something or just someway to wake himself up…

Krueger really hadn't notice.

But _Helyse_ had.

And without knowing why she was doing it, she pointed to Scott, calling the attention of Krueger.

"_He is running away!"_

Freddy growled furious and moved his jeep, starting to follow Scott and decided to pass over him. That boy already had escaped one time but he wouldn't do it again.

Scott was running and praying that someone would wake him up… The track had turned into a cemetery… A cemetery where some of his friends were buried, because of Krueger.

He looked behind and saw the Dream Demon coming at a great speed, broking tombs in his will to run over him…

The young boy turned to run, but hands came under earth and held his feet and legs. Putrid hands, already half eaten by worms, falling in pieces and even if he tried to get free of them, all his efforts were useless…

Helyse didn't even close her eyes. The impact was strong and blood painted the window of the car, with some worms of the dead hands and parts of the boy's body. She moaned in disgust when she saw an organ, which she didn't know what was and neither wanted to, pulsing for once. She felt that was about to throw up…

And yet…

Yet…

She had… _Liked it._

The realization didn't scare her, but surprised her. There was so much adrenaline and it felt _good. _Just like she had gone to a roller coaster, but somehow it had been even better. It had been so _enjoyable_...

Freddy seemed more than just happy and looked to Helyse with a smile of pure sarcasm and chuckled upon seeing her. The poor girl was with her mouth open, seeming in absolute shock… And seeming a perfect idiot too.

"What did you think of that little 'ride', girl?"

Helyse murmured, without blinking and looking in shock.

"I thought I was going to _die_"

Freddy didn't care for her answer, but he soon had a surprise. Helyse was _laughing_! Not very loud and it sounded a bit weird, but there was no doubt that she looked like she had gone to some kind of amusement park and not to be witness of a murdering (and she had even _helped_, now he realized)… Soon, as if embarrassed and unease, her laugher became ever lower and even shyer, as she tried to hold it. Clearly, she wasn't very used to it and when Helyse looked at him, she _seemed_ different…

Not physically, but her eyes showed _excitement_ and were shining a bit, as if they had a kind of pallid light inside. She wasn't really smiling, but there was a good emotion about her, like an aura. Pure excitement… Bit by bit, she was going back to have feelings… The girl was remembering of _what _and _how_ it felt like having feelings… She was remembering of it after so many years of pain and years when her life had been converted to a tedious and repetitive routine… Now, she had found _emotion_. And she had liked it.

"That was really fun!" She had now a small smile; a really small one, which not even was really a smile but a shadow of one, right in the corner of her lips. It felt as if she hadn't _ever_ smiled in her life and didn't know how to do it right.

And Freddy, of course, was without reaction. That girl had thought that all that had been _fun_? Again furious with her reaction, he made both came back to the boiler room and looked to Helyse with evil and cold eyes.

"Don't be too enthusiastic, Blake… Don't forget that you too will die very, _very _soon…"

Helyse turned around, coming back too to her usual lack of expression (or lack of soul or heart? Hard know for sure).

"I know, _Krueger_… But I don't care."

It was the first time in the all her coma's time that she called him by his name. Actually, she had barely talked to him and in the really few times, she had never called him by something, not even by his name.

"Since when _you _call me 'Krueger'?" He asked, letting his annoyance be show in his voice.

She put her hands in her waist.

"Since the moment _you _started to call me 'Blake'!"

It was true too. It was the first time that he called her by her name… Not 'bitch', not 'girl', no. Her name…

Without waiting for any answer (in fact, fearing it), Helyse walked away leaving Krueger furious, staring at her back with a strong hate.

Yes, she was going to die…

Yes, she was afraid of being _hurt_ by Krueger…

But she didn't care about death…

_And yes_, strangely, she had liked of that 'drive'.

Krueger scratched a pipe with hate.

"_I have to kill that girl soon or I'll go insane…"_ He thought.

It was better her family to start seeing the coffin's options…

Helyse Blake would die. And it would be a very painful death.

As soon as he got just a little more strength…


	9. Chapter Nine: Death's Time

**Chapter Nine – Death's Time**

A long time passed by, but Helyse never asked again how long. Since he had taken her to see Scott Russo's death, Krueger slowly became more distant than never of Helyse (not they had ever been 'close', to begin with). The girl didn't complain about it, but she could feel there was something different about that… And she already was in that world time enough to guess what kind of 'Silence of Krueger' that one was becoming: 'Pre-Homicidal-Silence'. And she was certain that, this time, the victim would be herself, if not, why would he look at her sometimes when she was watching him? Helyse knew it hadn't been because he wanted her to leave (he wasn't the kind who looked at people expecting them to take the hint; he down-right told them what he wanted).

It was like they said… End of the party, the last one pays the bills and turn off the lights, please. And this wasn't a fairy-tale or some story, Helyse couldn't just say "_Ok, very well, better I go now. Thanks for everything, but I want to wake up_"… Though she would prefer that way.

Maybe that was for the best… At least, the tortures and everything else would end. However, she had to admit: The time that she had spent in coma, in the Dream World, had made her felt more emotions than never in _years_… A portion of her had liked it, but a bigger one wasn't a not even bit used to such things, and therefore, she also felt sick at times. Physically, mentally and emotionally sick. Her brain and heart hurt too much and seemed heavy, a point to made her think if was possible die of a heart attack in her age even being health (at least, she used to be), sometimes her heart was so heavy and weak that she was certain it would stop, or her brain hurting and she seeing dust and mist, not succeeding in concentrate in anything but in the pain, barely able to walk as if she was drunk… It wasn't pleasant and she had even vomited once.

But the weakness, the heart beating faster and hurting, her brain weak and all the confusion that she felt, it all was worth the sensation of have feelings again… To have that sensation of…

Of being alive.

Maybe she should even _thanks_ Krueger, before she died.

**XxX**

Krueger was just furious. He never had a very good mood, but this time, he was more than furious. And the worst was that he wasn't mad at anyone in particular.

What infuriated him was the simple fact that he couldn't think in how to kill the Blake girl. Usually, he just played with people's fears and, during the 'play', he killed them. Like a cat playing with a rat.

And, just for a change, that damned girl seemed not have definite feelings of fears at all. All inside her was too frivolous, maybe too ephemeral… Just like mist. How he was supposed to have fun with her fears if not even _she_ seemed to know them herself? No… She _knew_. But her only _truly_ fear, of what had happened in the dark room, Krueger _couldn't_ see. It was something that was sort of buried in the deepest pit of her soul and he had no "access" to it.

Great… Just great!

And all methods that he could think in using against her just didn't seem to be good enough. Someway, he wanted that her murder to be the best of all he had done already. He had thought about several ways but none felt good enough! Not even the tortures that he had used on her would fit; he never would use the same method two times in the same person.

Krueger looked to the fire in the boiler with anger. That damn girl was screwing everything! Since that cow had appeared in his life (or death? Whatever), all had gone out of control… In the beginning it was all right, but now it was all was wrong. She hadn't been scared not even with the corpses he had made in Scoot Russo's dream (perhaps it had been at that point that things had gone out of his way?) She had thought it all was _fun. _What, she had been living under a rock, to think that was fun? Krueger was a killer, but he wasn't insane to think that what he did was "right" or that "there was no problem". No, he was very conscious of what he did (which didn't mean he cared), he wasn't a _psychopath_. He was a sociopath and there is a difference.

But Helyse didn't strike him as one. She should have been crying and screaming, not chuckling and (_trying to) _smiling in that stupid way… He couldn't stop thinking that was the first time he had seen Blake showing such emotion and the image of that shy (and lame) attempt couldn't leave his mind.

"_I have to kill her or I'll be crazy…"_

He blinked, without believe that he had thought that. He had decided to kill her a long time ago and had been pushing this until now, as someone would do with an unpleasant task, so it wasn't that what made him somewhat surprised by his own thought. Why the hell he would go crazy because of that whore? Of the darkness, the fire, or maybe of the Death itself that was in the air, the answer came.

"Because you try _understand_ _her"_

Krueger ran his claws in a piper, bursting it in his fury. His hate was growing each second. It made years since he had felt such hate… No even when that damned bitch Nancy had escaped he had felt like that. And that _was _saying something…

No. He didn't want to understand her, he was just… A bit curious about her. After all, none of the bitches that he had killed was like that girl. But that wasn't reason to be feeling so confused.

Okay, there were times when he had told her to go somewhere else as he worked on his glove or just sat there looking at the fire, but they had been few times if compared to the ones he had let her just stay around. Krueger wasn't a fool, he knew that just the fact that her presence hadn't annoyed him (at least not always) wasn't a good thing.

And the song. He hadn't forgotten how she had, without knowing, made Tayra's death even worse. He laughed, what she would say if she knew she was the one who had made the pieces of glass and not him? Taýra's face had been ripped to shreds.

He remembered when she had sung… How Tayra had felt the heart heavy and full of sadness… It was right in her eyes and expression, he had noticed that when he had caught her. With her song, Helyse almost gave that girl a depression…

This question made him think again about her heart. What had happened to her be so empty and sad? Why she… He felt a new wave of hate! He was caring about her again! There was obvious he had to kill her!

He had decided that a long time ago and hadn't done anything about it since then. Even when she was just around and he would think that he could kill her at that moment, something inside him made him stop, as if a portion of him whispered that he could wait a bit more, there were more tortures he could use on her and so on…

Lately, even the tortured had become… Well, certainly not "soft" or "lighter", but certainly not as so good as they were in the first times.

No, things couldn't carry on like this. He refused to allow it.

He looked to the burst piper and to his own glove. The claws shined, sharp, like silver.

He smiled.

In the doubt, why don't use the good and old glove?

**XxX**

Helyse was seated with her back leaned in the pipers, bored and sighing, trying to distract herself of a great headache. How many deaths had she seen around there? Well, Krueger hadjust _tried _to kill Amanda Locker, but even so… Well, he had killed Tayra Pierce and Scott Russo. That was three people already, but he could have killed more people and she wouldn't have known… There had been screams, so she assumed he had tried to kill more people, but if he had succeed, that she didn't know.

And didn't care.

Speaking about Locker, there was still Kurt. Big deal… She understood _very well _now why he slept in the class. He and his friends. She almost laughed… They sure were spending all their money in coffee and pills… And no wonder none of them had said anything, who would believe them? Perhaps that was the main reason why people who had really had supernatural experiences never talked about them (some did, but she suspected that most cases were hoaxes), because they were sure that no one would believe and people would try to take them to the loony bin.

A long time ago, she had been the kind of person that would be among the ones clamming that those people needed professional help… Nowadays, not so much…

Helyse wondered how Kurt and the others had told each other about Krueger (had they? Or had they shared a dream?). Not that it was important… No one of them had been close to her… And she had helped Kurt because he had helped her. Pure retribution and nothing more. There was gratitude, but not friendship. Not even affect.

Helyse sighed and shook her head. How boring… There was nothing to even think about to distract herself… If at least she could control part of that world. Like some people could control a dream… Don't they say that in the dreams you can do whatever you want?

Well, she never had tried it… But her dreams, usually, were like her feelings. And she never had cared for them until now.

A shock ran in her veins and feeling and Helyse stood up. Flashes of light in her eyes… Was that a tunnel? No… No, that wasn't a tunnel. There was a noise… A strange _smell_…

She shook her head and blinked again and all came back to normal.

What was going on? What had that be?

Hearing steps, Helyse turned and looked back. Krueger was staring at her with a sick smile as he gently hit his claws against the pipes one by one. She knew that smile very well… It was a homicidal smile, very alike the one she had seen in his face as he killed Russo…

"_Oh, great! That was all I needed!" _She thought, sarcastically.

It was the time. Her time…

What she should do? Try to fight and die with dignity or let herself be killed? Would God sent her to Hell if she just sat there and didn't fight back for her killed?

Krueger came closer and she gave a step back.

"Is it time?" She asked before she could control her own tongue.

Other flash of light… People talking… Her head was so heavy… She didn't pay attention this time, there were other business to tend to.

"If you are talking about your time to die, so yes. What else it could be?" He asked with a mocking gentleness.

Helyse barely could stand. Could be that the flashes of light were in her mind or were they real? What _was_ going on? Was that some new way of Krueger to kill her?

She stepped back again, trying to keep her mind clear. Well, she could at least try to fight… Anyway, let herself be killed seemed a shamed way to die…

Helyse felt something that she didn't feel since years ago…

She wanted to fight. To face Krueger… Even if she died (and she had no doubts that this was what would happen) it was like if she was anxious to do it… It wasn't as if she believed she would win, but to at least fight against him, stand up against him…

Flashes of light… A strange noise, people talking next to her. Something in the Dream World seemed change… It was all fog… The pipes seemed almost to be melting in the extremities…

She felt something new _inside her_ too… Inside her… Heart? Soul? Whatever… But seemed as her blood was being taken off and replaced with something new…

Krueger walked to her fast and cut her shoulder with his glove before she could notice, making the blood gush… He laughed as he saw a bright white scar in her arm and remembered when he had done that… Helyse tripped in her own feet and fell…

She was falling in the floor… Krueger was above her, ready to slash her …

But even after she hit the floor, her mind seemed kept falling… In the light, in the mist…

**XxX**

Krueger stared to her, without understanding. Her shoulder was bleeding… Really bleeding… But her forms were fogged; her eyes seemed out of focus… He never had seen something like that, but he had an idea of what was happening.

There was more, he felt something waking in her, something that had nothing to do with that state, but that was happening all the same. Something that was dead until now, and was waking…

He lifted his hand, ready to dilacerate her face and neck… To tear her in shreds…

But somehow, he was hesitating and didn't know why…

**XxX**

Light… The pain in the shoulder… Voices screaming and something being put in her wound… Faces… She couldn't see Krueger, just light and faces out of focus…

"What is that in her shoulder?"

"I thought that had stopped happening!"

"Mental activity going up."

"We have to stop the bleeding!"

"It's serious, like the others she had… We'll have to give stitches."

The sound of a machine… Whistling slowly… A low and bored rhythm…

Smell of bloody…

Smell of medicine...

People taking care of her wound…

And she understood.

"_She is waking…"_


	10. Chapter Ten: Awake or Still Dreaming?

**Chapter Ten - Awake or Still Dreaming?**

Helyse opened her eyes, blinking and trying to make the faces of some doctors get in angle. She couldn't understand what they were talking yet… She felt so dizzy… Where was she? What had happened?

_Who was she? _

"Are you feeling alright?" A nurse asked. Alright? _Alright? _She wasn't _alright_! And never would be again! Why was she even there? Why her head was hurting so much? No, scratch that, the better question was why all her body was hurting ALL over!

"What… Happened?" She managed to say. And she felt some surprise for being still able to speak, for still knowing how to do it… Her memory was all white and fog… What had _happened? _She couldn't remember even her own name! What she was doing here, lying in some bed? Was that her home? Not, it couldn't be…

_Why couldn't she remember?_

"You've sleeping for over a month…" A doctor told her, but seeing her eyes he asked "Miss Blake? Helyse Blake? Are you hearing me?"

Of course she was! What he thought she was, deaf?

Then all came back, with a noise inside her mind as if someone had dropped a big rock inside it. _Freddy Krueger! The deaths! _God, she would NEVER sleep again! NEVER! EVER!

"I'm fine… I'm fine…" She whispered, more to herself than to the doctor. She had survived. And in perfect timing, since she could remember very well Krueger trying to kill her… She growled in pain and looked to her arm, and almost gasped… Her white blouse was wet in fresh blood… The pain was almost unbearable, the nurse, who was taking care of the four big cuts, held her still.

"Hold on, dear… You'll need some stitches here…"

Helyse saw that woman actually was already giving the 'some stitches'. God, there was something that she surely HADN'T to see. She looked to the other side, feeling like she was about to faint. Maybe she just didn't because she was certain that she didn't want to go back to the Dream World so soon.

"Don't worry dear, perhaps there won't be… Another scar".

It wasn't the possibility of scars that had made Helyse turn her eyes of that scene, but she got the "another scar" part. Oh, yes, she had one in her arm… But she was far from worry about that after all she had been through.

"Be still, you're awake now. You are all right…" The doctor bit his lip and then smiled. Helyse knew what he wanted: He wanted to ask about the wounds she kept getting during the coma.

"_Thanks Krueger for that doctor, not me" _She thought, bitter. What would she do? Tell them? Oh, no way! They would tie her and threw to the first mental hospital, no doubts about that. However, she knew she didn't have to say anything, she could say she didn't remember anything and there, no problems.

She concentrated in breathing in and out in order to calm herself. She wasn't sure they would even consider giving her a sedative if she started to freak out, but Helyse wasn't taking any chances. Just the idea of "sleeping" brought back the image of the boiler room and it made her whole body shiver.

Somehow, her already-freaked mind managed to register that it was a bit weird, for she was getting used to that place, but now that she was free, she didn't want to go back... At least not with Krueger wanting to kill her.

"_Could this be the way that people who are in jail feel, when they can get out? They're_ _so used to the jail that they make some crime again, just to go back?" _She thought, remembering of that movie she had saw, _The Shawshank Redemption_… She even had learned some quotes by heart. "_Get busy in living or get busy in dying"_ was one of her favorite ones. Could even be a good line in some song.

Life was that… The meaning of the life, which some people always asked what was, when simplified was just that! Trying to live or trying to die. Two points of a line and what lied in the middle was irrelevant… Some people spent their lives dead inside and just wanting to death to take effect...

Perhaps it was like that she had been living up until now?

"_They send you here for life, and that's just what they take" _Was a good one too. Maybe that was kinda what had happened to her... First when she was child and now again, in the Dream World. So strange… She had spent her life just waiting… Something. Redemption? Peace? _What_? Krueger _had _woken something inside her and she still could feel it, although she was feeling normal again now. _That person _had taken of her something vital, something sacred, something else…

Her soul? Her purity?

Whatever it was, the result would always be the same.

And somehow, when Krueger had tried to kill her, something had woken… She felt a shock. She already _had felt _it! When she had escaped of that dark room! In that day, she had felt it. It was a w_ish to live… The feeling of _being_ alive again… The surviving instinct…_

She had felt her _heart…_

**XxX**

A few hours later, Helyse was left alone. The doctor had filled her head with questions as soon as she had confirmed that she felt better (and making her wish she had lied). He wanted to know if she could remember something of the coma itself. Helyse lied. What she could do? Tell about Krueger? Who would believe? If she hadn't been there, she surely wouldn't. So, she insisted that she didn't know anything. She had had that accident and then, had waked in hospital. No, she couldn't remember anything at all.

After the doctor insisted a bit, Helyse looked to him right in his eyes and somehow, her feeling-less eyes made him nervous and when she (coldly) told him that she _did not remember anything _and was starting to get tired of those questions, he looked at the floor and muttered an apology. It was, like he said, the first time something like that happened and all the doctors had been worried, trying to discover the cause… Helyse didn't pay any attention to his babbling.

The doctor talked about her state as well. She wasn't too hurt and there wouldn't be any scars of the wounds of the accident. However, one of the "mysterious wounds that you got while in coma" in his own words, had left her a bright white scar in her arm.

Great, Krueger had given to her a 'little present' so, she never would forget him. Bastard. It wasn't that she was worried about the scar itself (it wasn't as if she had got one on her face or was wondering what people would think about it or if her arm would be ugly now) but it was as if he had marked her… Sure, it was nonsense and it hadn't been his intention to her to feel like that, but that didn't change it.

But now, alone in the room, she was thinking. Krueger sure had gained power with her… Now, what he would do? Kill more people? Try to escape of Springwood? She chuckled darkly, that man needed a life.

And she was worried about _herself_… She didn't want to sleep. She didn't want to go back there… If Krueger was just going to kill her, maybe she wouldn't mind, Helyse had already accepted the idea of dying (and sometimes welcomed it), but there was always that detail: The suffering.

_One, two, Freddy is coming for you…_

She sat in the bed, looking around breathing as a horse who heard a snake.

"I _didn't_ hear that…" She muttered to herself "I _didn't…"_

A small laugh… A _male_ laugh.

She felt as if she wasn't alone. There was something there in the room with her…

_Three, Four, Better lock your door…_

She held her head, her fingernails hurting the scalp. She was going mad… Oh, God, she was mad, it was the only explanation…

"_Great, call the doctor and send me to the nearest mental hospital, I'm completely mad!"_

Or… She wasn't awake?

Perhaps…

_Five, Six, grab a crucifix…_

Was she sleeping or wake? Which one? Where was she? In the Dream World or the Real World? Why she kept hearing that? Maybe Freddy was playing with her emotions, making her feel as if she had woken and then he would ruin her hopes of being free of his tortures?

She slapped herself, as trying to wake herself.

She turned her head when she thought she had seen a shadow moving slowly.

_Seven, Eight, gonna stay up late…_

There _was_ a male voice singing with the little girls' voices. And she hadn't to be a genius to recognize that voice.

"_I am awake_… I am fine…" She muttered, hugging herself, as trying to comfort herself. Krueger couldn't be there! That was nonsense, she was awake, she was sure she was awake…

_Nine, Ten…_

She felt hands in her shoulders…

One of them, had a metallic glove with long, sharp fingernails… She felt someone's chest in her back and that someone was breathing in her neck… A voice whispered in her ear…

_Never. Sleep. Again!_

She screamed, turning back.

Expecting to see Krueger there…

No, there was no one there… But, she _had_ listened. She surely had listened Krueger's voice. For Pete's sake, she had felt his touch! His breath!

Was she awake or sleeping after all?

She was insane… Helyse was sure she had gone crazy. She had to call the doctor and…

"_No. _Now_ I'm being stupid. I'm not crazy… I know I acting as if I was and it is for that I know I'm actually not crazy"_

She lay again, sighing and almost laughing at herself. This thought had no logic whatsoever.

Maybe she was insane. Didn't some people say that every person was a bit insane? Didn't they say that some traumas (of any natural, mental, emotional, whatever) could make people go mad?

Oh, and so what? Even if she had lost some of her sanity, it didn't mean that she hadn't other things to worry about.

"What will happen now?"

A voice answered that for her.

"Now I guess you'll need a lot of coffee…"

That voice came of the door. Helyse looked, ready to tell a lie or something if it was that annoying doctor or some other person. But it wasn't a doctor, it was a guy of her school. She didn't know his name, but she could bet that he was a friend of Kurt Locker, Helyse was sure she had seen them together with a small group of friends…

Nothing about that made more eager to talk with him.

"Who are you?" She asked a bit bitter than she intended to sound. It didn't shock or offend the guy in anyway, he just smiled weakly at her, as if this was all awkward for him. His green eyes showed that he wasn't sure of how to talk to her.

"_And why shouldn't he feel like that?" _She thought, looking at him with suspicion. She could remember him better now. And that didn't help at all. She could remember him laughing and his voice mocking…

The coldness in her eyes seemed to make the boy even more unease, but he approached even so. His hair, of a medium brown color, came until his shoulders and was a bit untidy in the points, making him resemble a guy from a rock band.

" I'm Jonathan Mears." He sat next to her. She just stared to him with her elbows lifted and let him go on talking. "You're Helyse Blake… Kurt told us you were in coma…" His voice became a whisper "And… Well, stuck in the Dream World…"

Helyse nodded. What that guy wanted to talk about? If he wanted details of her 'stay' in there, she was so not up talking now. But Jonathan had said all that really fast as if he wanted to get over with that as fast as she wanted to…

"Yeah… So?"

"I… Well, we though you could want to join us. We're trying to fight Freddy." He seemed a bit proud of that, but Helyse just blinked not giving a damn about it. Fight Krueger? Were they all stupid? Hadn't they seen what the Dream Demon was capable of? Helyse knew Krueger well enough to bet that this "trying to fight" him wouldn't be just pointless as it would make him furious.

"_You_ guys are fighting _Krueger? _Then, no offense, but isn't working out. I saw he murder two people…"

Jonathan smiled to her, in a gentle way.

"You saved Kurt's sister, Amanda, right? She told us…" He seemed worried. "I don't want to interfere too much or be prying, but Freddy hurt you for that?"

She nodded coldly. What he expected? That Freddy acted all "Well, that's ok, I forgive you because I'm so goddamn nice and my heart is full of goodness?" Oh, _please… _They were mad. Mad and stupid.

Join them? What for? To make Freddy hate her even more? To give him more reasons to kill her in a slowly and painful way?

She wished she had told the nurse that she didn't want any visitors, but since she had no one who would want or bother to visit her, Helyse hadn't even cared about giving such warning.

"Let's just say he didn't like me helping one of his victims. After that, I couldn't help anyone anymore…" That was so stupid! She was sounding as if she thought she was a hero or something! How pathetic…

And it wasn't as if she hadn't been able to help, she just didn't want to help others.

"We noticed that he is getting strong. Seems he used your fear for that… But we _are _fighting him and we can win! People did it before us, so we can do too! And we want you to help us…"

Helyse almost laughed. Not of Jonathan and his friends to be fighting (he had just told her that people had done it in the past, so if there as a possibility, then they could go for it for all she cared), but for they wanting her to fight with them. She had had her dosage of 'Krueger' enough for her whole life, anyway.

"Sorry, but no way. I spent four weeks with him and this little time seemed like four _months. _I've had enough of that crap".

Jonathan seemed upset and held her hand, as if they were friends. To Helyse it seemed such hypocrisy, he didn't know her name until she had got in that coma. They weren't friends, he never had spoke to her and now was acting all '_we-all-want-to-beat-Krueger-and-we-are-all-friends_'? God, she was about to be sick!

"Blake… Helyse. We need you… And honestly, you need us too. Do you think Freddy will let you go? He is after _all_ of us…"

Helyse saw the logic in this reasoning and sighed. She could wave goodbye to her calm life and say hello to a new life… A life that could reveal itself to be really short. She wasn't really free. Stupid, it was clear that Krueger would keep killing people AND she was in his list too.

That wasn't fair.

"How you guys are fighting? I've spent a time in there and I almost died… I can tell you, if I hadn't waked already, I would have died of _bleeding_."

The doctor had told her but he didn't need, she remembered the wounds too well to disagree. Jonathan, seeing a bruise in her hand, caressed it. Helyse couldn't understand why he was acting like that; they didn't even know each other…

Some would say he was being gentle and polite, but she felt it was hypocrisy. If they didn't know each other, he had no reasons to act like cared when she knew he didn't. If he had ever cared about her, he wouldn't have laughed when people pushed her.

"We discovered that we actually have some powers in the Dream World… But they aren't like simple dreams. It's like our deep dream… You'll have to find out what one yours is."

He looked at her.

"So… Can we count with you in?"

Helyse sighed.

"Yes. I'm in…"

"_I'm so screwed…" _


	11. Chapter Eleven: Doubts about Existence

**Chapter Eleven – Doubts about Existence**

After some days, Helyse received her discharge from hospital and could go home. She was catching her things, the same that were with her when she had the accident, which wasn't much, just her backpack of school and a coat.

She was informed by a nurse that some guys had come to see her when she was in coma. She could bet that had been Kurt and some of his friends… No one else would come to see her and even so, she knew that they had come just one day or two. No one had to tell her, she just _knew_. As she knew that they hadn't even entered her room…

And before walked out the hospital, she asked the man in the reception about it and he confirmed.

What a surprise…

No one had really come to see _her_, except Kurt Locker and two or three guys, his friends. But they didn't stay for too long, just come and asked how she was, if she would wake up. It wasn't like if they used to sit beside her and try to talk to her as if some people used to do when a friend or a relative was in coma…

No one had been there to hold her hand or to tell they were waiting for her… She had no one waiting for her or praying for her to wake up…

No surprise in that of course.

And it wasn't that she _really_ cared… They weren't friends and she didn't expect them to act like their friends just because she was in coma, with Krueger. But to have such loneliness confirmed like that… Just because it was expected and normal, didn't make it better… It wasn't like it hurt her, but it wasn't pleasant either.

When she walked out, she noticed how this time in coma had changed _her_. In simple words, she had been reborn. But she just noticed it when she stepped out the hospital.

The sun was brighter and warmer than what Helyse remembered. The sky seemed beautiful and she noticed she hadn't looked to sky since she was… What, twelve? Yes, more or less… But even so, she hadn't felt the joy of being free, of looking to the sky and feeling the sunlight in the skin, in being able to run and seeing the things out of…

She had forgotten how it was to be alive… And now, now she was remembering. Sighing and wondering if that was good or bad, she went to a bus stop…

Helyse was going home.

**XxX**

Since she was more or less fifteen, Helyse had started to live alone and that meant she started to work by this time, as well. She didn't want any help from anyone, not for pride just for something she didn't know what was… But Helyse didn't know if anyone would really help her anyway, once she had lived in the orphanage and never had been adopted. Of course, she had passed by some adoptions families or whatever they called it… But she knew no one would adopt her and, as if she didn't know, the other orphans were always glad to tell her about it. Who would want a child who didn't know even how to smile?

She jumped off the bus and walked some more 'till she saw a small and white house with a black roof and a small garden in front. Her house… But she never had thought if she could call that a _home_. Well, perhaps she could after all, she felt almost safe and nice there…

But it didn't feel really like a home. When she thought about that small house, there were no feelings of comfort and safety that she knew people felt when they thought about their homes.

She entered… Like always, all was in silence… And, like always, she was alone… And that loneliness _did_ hurt. A little. At least in the Dream World she was with Freddy… He could be a pain in the neck, but at least was a company…

That shocked her. What kind of sick thought was that? Sure, he had been some sort of company, but he had also _tortured_ her. She didn't miss _that_ at all.

Helyse looked around. She would have to make some clean around here, so it would be better to start now. But why she was feeling that nostalgic and sad feeling? As if something was missing in there?

Or like nothing was missing _her_?

She felt something behind her, but when she looked there was nothing in there. Perhaps she was just imagining things. Maybe it was normal, after the time she had spent in the boiler room and she would need some time to convince herself that, at least while she was awake, she was safe.

"Well, the sooner I start here, sooner it will be finished..." She said to herself as she looked around and went to her room, to change clothes. The house wasn't big, after all, she didn't need much space. There were just four rooms: Her bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen and the living/dinner room. Her room was upstairs and she liked it because it had one window where she could go through and would be in the roof, right up the living room. She used do it often at night and sat in there, to look at the stars.

Sighing, she picked some clothes and walked to her bathroom. A warm bath sounded really nice, after all, now she could feel she hadn't taken a bath in all time she had been in coma and missed it.

She closed the door (even if she was alone in home, she never took bath with the door opened), took her clothes off and threw it the hamper for dirty clothes and went in her bathtub. After so much time without a bath, the warm water felt just delicious, relaxing… Even if it had been in her dream, she thought she still could smell fire, gasoline and blood in herself.

Did others smell that too? Or was just her imagination?

"_Well, I did consider the option that I have gone mad…" _

Helyse closed her eyes and laid more in the water, until just her head was in the surface. None of that shit now, she wanted to relax. At least for a little bit, she thought she deserved that.

"_Don't think about it… Not now."_

For some seconds, Helyse didn't move, just stayed there still feeling the water against her skin. It never had felt so comfortable and if she wasn't totally awake, she would think in taking a nap right after that relaxing bath.

Of course, now the last thing she wanted was to fall asleep.

Hands came from nowhere, holding her shoulders and she felt someone breathing in her neck. In the same moment she felt it, she sat screaming and looked but there was no one.

"_Nothing happened… I'm just scared yet, maybe…"_

She looked to the door.

It was open.

"_I closed it! I'm sure I closed it! And I didn't even fall sleep to felt those… Those hands"_

She took some deep breaths before starting to rub her skin and washing her hair, trying to not think in that. Maybe she had left the door open, after all…

Feeling pain in her heart, she tried to keep that calmness. Gosh, she surely would die because of a heart attack if she didn't get used to those feelings. But after all, she hadn't it since many years ago, her body had grown without being used to them, maybe…

"_Oh, for Pete's sake! Would you stop that crap, please?"_

**XxX**

It wouldn't take much time to clean the house, she noticed. Basically, she had to clean the dust, put some clothes to wash and make her bed… Check if some food had gone bad of something …

When she thought about her bed, she shivered. Usually, Helyse always thought about it as a safe and warm place, but now it seemed as dangerous as a bear trap. A door to go back to that world of suffering and nightmares…

The thought made her nervous.

"_Good. It was all I needed… I just won't fall sleep today! I won't!"_

Helyse shook her head. She could think about it _later_. Now, she had things to do. She looked around and tried to imagine how it would feel to have someone in there, someone hugging her or maybe just saying that had missed her, that had been worried about her…

But there was no one.

"_So stop thinking about this shit, it's not helping!"_

And she knew something very well: If she had died, no one would be in her funeral. If someone in school told the others she had died, they would just say "Oh, poor thing" while, honestly, many of them didn't even remember her face… And some would be thinking things along the lines of "who cares?" or "better her than me"…

That was how things were and anyone who said anything different, was just being dumb. As if she didn't know how her own life was…

So, the question was… If no one missed her, if no one cared about her, if she was completely alone in the world… Could be she wasn't even _really_ alive?

Was she there at all?

How could she prove she was alive, when she was letting or having any signs that she had existed at all?

She could already be death and then what?

_Please, please forgive me,  
But I won't be home again.  
Maybe someday you'll look up,  
And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:  
"Isn't something missing?"_

She picked a broom and started to clean the floor. She didn't have a vacuum cleaner, but she didn't miss it (thought she had been thinking about buying one when she got enough money). Sometimes when she had nothing to do, it was good to have to clean the whole house with a broom and stuff, it worked to keep her mind busy (since it made the clean take more time), so she could avoid bad thoughts and memories. God knew how she needed it.

She could run away of her own loneliness… Helyse looked to the floor and her eyes went wide. It was her impression or there was a mark of boots, made with dust and ashes? No, it had to be her imagination, nothing more… Maybe were even marks of her _own_ shoes and she was getting scared of shadows.

"_I'll not scream, I'll not scream, I'll not…" _She closed her eyes "_Ok, you're just obsessed. Stop this!"_

Then she had an idea. Perhaps she could think clearer, colder and more rational if she could make her feelings go away again. Well… New question: Did she have such control over her heart?

_You won't cry for my absence, I know,  
you forgot me long ago  
Am I that unimportant?  
Am I so insignificant?  
Isn't something missing?  
Isn't someone missing me?_

She sang pretending to not care about anything, but her dark blue eyes were serious and she was looking around the room, as if trying to find something. But what was that? Oh, she was in paranoia or something like that? It must be it! It was alright having paranoia about going to sleep, but that was too much! Freddy Krueger lived on Dream World and she was awake! So, she was worried by nothing. She was safe…

"_Silly Helyse, you're scared of shadows! See? There's nothing here."_

She noticed by this thought that she had some control of her heart, after all. Good. One more thing that made her a freak. But she liked to know it, it could be useful sometimes.

Like now.

"_Or in a fight, for example." _She thought serious "_Sometimes, emotions can screw up"_

_Even though I'd be sacrificed  
You won't try for me, not now  
Though I'd die to know you loved me,  
I'm all alone.  
Isn't someone missing me?_

She thought a bit at this strophe, but shook her head. No, no one was missing her but it was the way it had always been, she used to that. And she had no doubts or illusions of someday someone missing her… She knew, for example, no one would ask her in school where she had been… Perhaps the teachers, but just because she had missed the classes.

No one cared. She had tried, she could remember, but…

She kept the song, but somehow, the house seemed a strange place now. And Helyse knew why… Being stuck in the Dream World for so long, she had forgotten how it felt like being in an empty house, without any company… Even the boiler room felt hotter than it (but hot in a nice way, for more crazy that could sounds like).

Now, this house felt as empty as a cage…

"_Knock that off! Better alone than with that guy! Have you forgotten he was about to kill you? If you haven't waked up, you would be in a grave and no one would cry!"_

But damn it, she didn't care if anyone would miss her or not. Give a break, she was _Helyse_.

If she didn't care about herself, no one would. She had to look after herself.

Even if she wasn't sure. Was that self-love or just survival instinct? She had never stopped to think if she cared even for herself.

_Please, please forgive me,  
But I won't be home again.  
Maybe someday you'll look up,  
And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:  
"Isn't something missing?"_

Did she have a home? That place could be called house, but not a home. It was strange, she had a house, but not a home…

When was the last time she had had one?

When was the last time she had had someone who would hold her if she cried, who would say "I'm so happy that you're back"?

No use in thinking about that. The present was all she had and the facts were clear as water, she had no place to call home, not that house, not the school, not the house she had lived before came to Springwood and surely, not the boiler room!

Period.

Speaking about Freddy, why did he want more power? He was already too powerful and Helyse, being the cold rational she was, doubted that Jonathan, Kurt and whoever was with them, could beat Freddy up. She had seen how he killed.

"_And you kinda helped in the last one…"_

She shrugged her shoulders to herself. Yes, she did, so what? Let people sue her! Besides, Helyse couldn't do anything about it now and she admitted she had liked that ride. It had helped her to wake her heart, even if she was going through a kind of pain lately because of that.

But she could handle it.

She felt something passing by her and looked, scared.

_Even though I'd be sacrificed,  
You won't try for me, not now.  
Though I'd die to know you loved me,  
I'm all alone,  
Isn't someone missing me?_

Nothing there. Just her shadow reflected in the window… Ok, time to stop worrying so much! She _was_ scared with her own shadow! She had come to that point and she wasn't like that. Going back to what mattered: The cleaner and the song, nothing more…

For a moment, she remembered when she had sung _Whisper_ and had made that glass appear in her hand… It had been the first time she had tried to control the dream world as if was her dream. Of course, she didn't know what she had really done to that place and how she had, unintentionally, helped in Tayra's death as well.

_And if I bleed, I'll bleed,  
Knowing you don't care.  
And if I sleep just to dream of you  
And wake without you there,  
Isn't something missing?  
Isn't something..._

Not that she had someone to dream about… Not even that.

She went to her room, to change the covers of her bed. Now Helyse was a bit worried, she couldn't sleep this night, that's for sure… Jonathan was right, she had to buy a lot of coffee and maybe even pills.

"_Maybe not pills, if I have an overdose, I can die or fall in coma again…"_

Wait a minute…

She looked around, noticing her bed had some feathers of her pillow, which was cut. Why her pillow was cut? She picked it and saw there _were_ cuts making a strange message, barely legible.

But she could read very well. And who wouldn't be able to? The message was a clear one. Right there, in the pillow, two words had been cut… _Die, Bitch. _

"_Or I am really crazy… Or I am really screwed…"_

But she bet in the second option…. But how could it be? Freddy was in the Dream World, then how…

If it was really Freddy, she could be still in coma?

Was she crazy? Maybe there was nothing there and she was having a hallucination…

She sat in the bed and hugged herself.

"_What's going on here after all?"_

But she just muttered, under her breath.

Was _she_ real?

_Even though I'd be sacrificed,  
You won't try for me, not now.  
Though I'd die to know you loved me,  
I'm all alone  
Isn't someone missing me?_

Suddenly, the world seemed unreal... Like a illusion..

And all that surrounded her were lies... Including herself.

_Isn't someone missing me?_


	12. Chapter Twelve: Dream Warriors

**Chapter Twelve - Dream Warriors**

Helyse didn't sleep at night. And since it was Saturday, she had no problems with school. Even if she had class the next day, she would have cut it. What was missing a day in school compared to being killed in her sleep?

But she had the feeling she was being used and that Kurt's group wouldn't be able to defeat Freddy. Honestly, she had no faith in them and was already thinking they would all die. End of story. Freddy seemed be to alive –or undead, whatever- since a long time, so, what made them think they could defeat him? Maybe would be better just run… Go live in another country even…

Just because some people had been able to defeat him in the past didn't mean _they_ could do it as well.

"_Good, Helyse… Always running away, never facing the problem…" _She said to herself, holding an evil giggle. She was really unworthy! Go away? Run? Just a weak would do that and it was time to be strong. She wasn't a little girl anymore…

At the same time, she felt she was being stupid. What harm was there in wanting to save her life? Helyse wasn't being weak, she was being realistic. It was stupid to try to fight Krueger when she knew they couldn't. It was like trying to fight against a fire having just a water-pistol to defend herself.

She looked to a piece of paper she had and looked around. Jonathan had given her his address and told her to go to his house on Saturday because he and his friends were going to have a meeting to talk about all that had happened and he thought it would be "nice' if she showed up. Probably they would make her some questions, but it was normal due to the later happenings…

Suddenly, a bad though came to her….

_What if they asked about Russo's death? _

She _had_ _helped_ Krueger… If she hadn't screamed that the boy was running, maybe he would be alive now. And he sure had had a terrible and painful death!

She was as responsible as Krueger…

She tasted the feeling of guilty… And didn't like it at all.

**XxX**

Jonathan opened the door and smiled, seeming really happy in see her. Helyse didn't feel the same way, but decided to adopt a more docile and polite act than when they had met at the hospital.

"I'm relieved. I didn't think you would really come…"

She went in, not looking at him. For some reason, Helyse still felt herself a bit hostile towards him… Maybe because she was with the impression he was not caring to her as human, just as '_help-in-the-fight'_ and… Well, she never had been in a guy's house (or barely anyone's house) and was a bit angered by how he was smiling and acting as if they were friends when they obvious weren't.

"_Maybe I'm being kind of stupid… Maybe he wants me to feel like I could be friends or something…" _She thought and then almost laughed to herself_ "Yeah, and elephants can fly"_

Jonathan walked at her side, not knowing well what to say or how to act. He never had really looked at Helyse (let alone talked) and didn't have any idea of how she truly was. But it was really the first time he actually saw her…

The girl seemed strange, but she wasn't ugly…

Not how people always said she was…

"Hum… The others are in my room. My father is in the work and my mother is out." He started to go upstairs and Helyse followed him, without any word. When they arrived in his room, she just looked at the "others".

Kurt was there as she had imagined he would and smiled to her. With him, there were another guy and two girls. She knew them by name: The boy, with red hair and blue eyes, was Mark… The blonde girl was Jessica and the other, with hair color between brown and red, was Amelia.

Mark looked to her as if he knew her, but couldn't remember of where. Jessica looked to her as if she was surprised to see Helyse there at all and Amelia just didn't show any signs to recognize her.

Oh, that was going to be a hell… Literally, hell!

"Hello! How do you feel?" Kurt asked. Helyse thought she ought to smile, but couldn't bring herself to do it. The closest time she had come to smile lately had been after riding with Krueger and killing Russo. She wondered what they all would say if they knew that.

"I've been better." She thought a bit and decided to be polite "And you?"

"Same. Never got a chance to thank you for saving my sister, right? Well, thanks… I know… I mean, it wasn't easy, right?"

Helyse just shrugged her shoulders. Amelia, who was sitting in the floor with Jessica, snapped her fingers.

"Hey, you study at our school, right? In Jessica's class?" Helyse sure wanted to say something like 'duh', but thought twice. Plus, Amelia didn't study in _her_ class, so obviously she couldn't remember her… After all, what reasons would Kurt and Jessica have to tell Amelia about her?

"Yeah… She's that one with the weird name and who never says anything… What's really your name? Something with 'R' or 'H'… Reline? Helin?" Jessica didn't seem to remember Helyse's name not even for all money in the world, if that was the case. That was okay, she knew her name was not pretty common.

'_H_el_y_se. The 'y' in my name sounds like 'i' and there's an 'e' in the ending." She explained calmly and wondered if Jessica would take that as if she was calling her stupid, teaching her how some letter sounded in her name. Well, late to take it back.

"Oh, I knew it was something strange like that! I even used to think you're mute!" Jessica said, turning to Amelia and Helyse didn't know how to feel about those words and if she had to answer. Was she being rude or was that just her way?

"Believe me! She's a way weird!"

Helyse wasn't really offended by it. For what she remembered of Jessica, that was pretty much how she treated people who were not of the same "social level" than hers in the school hierarch. And it was clear she didn't have reasons to change her behavior now.

"Helyse was in coma 'till two days ago. She was in the Dream World with Freddy and survived in time to wake up. I suppose…" Jonathan looked to one of the girl's arm, one which still was involved in some curatives and the other, with the white scar "It wasn't a happy time, right?"

The girl nodded and sat in the bed, tired of standing and wondering if she had done well in coming. Plus, she wasn't sure if she liked anyone in the room and sure didn't like Jessica. But she knew the blonde very well. Jessica was a popular girl, probably the most gorgeous girl in the class and one of the most beautiful girls of the whole school. And Jessica knew it very well…

Not, Helyse had to admit, that she didn't deserve all those compliments for her beauty.

"If she was really there…" Jessica hissed looking at Helyse with an expression the other didn't know how to interpret. "How come she survived? Gabriel and Tayra are dead and that girl who was there for weeks is alive? Give me a break!"

Helyse saw Kurt opening his mouth but she was faster. It wasn't that Jessica was hurting her very much (after all, she had tried make her feelings be vanished to that meeting, and was getting that control with time) after all, they weren't even friends and Jessica didn't even remember her name… Sure she would rather see Helyse dead than Tayra or Gabriel…

"Well, then don't believe. I don't even _have_ to be _here_…" Her voice, emotionless, was enough to make Jessica shut her mouth "But I _have_ been there and no, it wasn't a '_happy time_'. And yes, I saw him killing your friends."

"Then why didn't you stop him? You helped Amanda, why didn't help Gabriel?" Now it was Mark. Great. That was being worse than what she had thought it would be. They were already trying to blame her.

Very well, that was it. If they wanted just to throw rocks at her, then she would just walk away and let them deal with Freddy in their terms as she dealt with him in hers. Even if Jonathan kept using that bullshit of "together, we're stronger", she wouldn't just stay there to be bullied like that.

"Well, why don't you hit your head until you fall in coma and then try to help some of… Krueger's _targets_ and see what he does to you? Then you'll have my answer." Her voice was of such coldness and lack of emotions that, for a time, no one even looked at her.

No one said anything. Helyse's emotionless voice plus her sharp words were different of what they had expected from her. Since she seemed a lamb in the class, listening people's mocks in silence and always being put down made them think she was a shy and insecure girl, unable to answer like that.

Amelia clapped.

"Guys, guys! C'mon! Hell, uh, may I can you 'Hell'? Is right. We can't imagine what Krueger has done to her…" She looked to Mark and Jessica.

"Not even why he didn't kill her!"

"He wanted to keep me as an 'energy source'… Sometimes he tortured me to make me scared but didn't kill me. Until two days ago, I woke just when he was trying to do that." She showed her arm. "Believe, not nice."

She wasn't trying to be a martyr, but heck! She had spent a hell of time with Freddy while they were awake and safe! She had been tortured, passed for a lot of pain and survived! And they _still_ wanted to throw stones at her? No way would she stand that. Not when she had so much to deal with already.

"_Stupid girl, letting your brand-new emotions take over like that?" _She thought, but noticed it wasn't really like it… She was there to try helping them when all she wanted was to forget what had happened, but they were trying to crucify her.

"Why would he do that? He gets a lot of strength already…"

Mark tried to make a joke.

"Well, maybe he was a bit bored of staying alone at day when we're awake and wanted something to play with!" Helyse didn't know if he was saying '_play'_ in the meaning of torture her or in a sexual way. If was that, Freddy wouldn't be able to kill him because Helyse would do it first.

Jonathan rolled his eyes.

"Sorry for that. Mark has a stupid, and sometimes sick, sense of humor Hell. Just ignore him, ok?" He turned to his friend "And you can remember us to laugh later, ok?"

Mark shrugged his shoulders, smiling in a shy way as if realizing the joke had been offensive.

"Ok, I was just trying to joke about it…"

"And it wasn't funny!" Amelia hissed, shivering at the thought of both meanings of the word used. "You shouldn't joke about such things."

"Can we go back to the subject? If that guy got more strength, then we have to do the same thing! Practice our Dream Powers…" Jonathan whispered. And no one had to be genius to see why he didn't seem happy at the thought… To train their powers, they would have to go to sleep.

"No way! Look, I love you guys! But I won't sleep again that soon! No, not even to train these stupid powers that hadn't helped us until now!" Amelia seemed just hysterical about the whole idea. "Can't we just let it well enough as it is now?"

"You call OUR situation 'well enough'? Two of us are dead, my sister almost died and Heavens know if Krueger isn't killing someone right now! Do you think we are his only targets?"

Helyse was just watching the whole thing without any words. Amelia was right… They had no chance against Krueger. And for Kurt's comment… Well, she didn't care about other people. She was there just to save her own skin…

"_God, I am such an awful human being…"_

"Look! Must be some way to destroy Krueger… Jonathan, you said you've searched for legends about him and found names, people who seem to have done that before… But… Look maybe there is some way to… I don't know, make him stop killing?"

"The only way to stop him is killing him" Helyse hissed. What Jessica had in mind? Go sleep and be all '_Oh-please-let's-talk-and-resolve-this-situation-like-civilized-people'_ with Krueger? He would laugh at her and then kill her.

"Maybe not… I'm thinking now… Could be a way to make him be calm? You know, he is like an evil energy! Must be some way to… I don't know how to put it"

Helyse wasn't sure she agreed on that. Krueger had always looked very real to be made out of energy.

"I know… You mean, like people used to do to their Gods? To make it calm down when the people thought they were angry?"

"Krueger isn't any kind of God…"

Helyse turned to Amelia, who was visible scared.

"No, but he is a Dream Demon… It's not the same thing, but makes sense."

Well, yes, it was something along the lines, but Krueger was still… No, not that he was still human, but his conscience was still the one of a human being. At least that is what she thought… And even so, what were they talking about? Offer him something? What Krueger could want that they could give?

All he wanted was to keep killing. He was a murder, that was practically his nature.

"Yeah… People used to make offers to Gods… Maybe if we discover something he wants and give it to him, he will be still for time enough to give us time."

Mark laughed again with an idea.

"Hey, I know!" He pointed to Helyse "Let's make her fall in coma again! You know, we could even put a note: We're giving your toy back, please spare us!"

Helyse rolled her eyes. That guy didn't know when to quit the jokes, did he?

"Not funny."

"Who said that I was joking this time?" Mark's voice was now a pervert and evil hiss. Helyse looked to them; not believing in what she was listening. Jessica suddenly smiled, as if thinking it was a great idea… Her smile was bigger than what a normal smile would be, showing even her molars teeth, as if her lips had been cut.

"Guys…" Was that her voice? That fragile sound, low than a whisper, was her voice? That voice of a little girl…

Had they planned that all along? Had it all been just an ambush?

"That makes sense! Think Hell… You could give us some time!" Amelia smiled too, but wasn't the smile of a scared girl who was seeing a spark of hope. Was a false and hypocrite smile and she was talking in an annoying baby voice.

Kurt stood. So did Jonathan.

"I'll get a rope… And maybe something to hit her head with" Both had a depraved shine in their eyes. A shine of madness even. They were so obsessed in get a rid of Krueger that they didn't care in what they had to do or who they had to hurt…

And she had fallen for all that talking like a stupid.

"Well, it's good enough…" Jonathan looked to her. His eyes were even more beautiful than what she had thought at first, but were full of hate and despise. He looked to her with the same expression he would have if he was looking to a dead animal "Who will notice? You have been in coma for weeks and no one even went to your room to see you! You're alone in the world… You could have died and no one would have cried… You could have disappeared and no one would even notice…"

He leaned forward, looking right in her eyes, smiling.

"And you know what? Because no one needs you."

Something appeared in the bed and pulled her to lie down. In that moment, Helyse knew she was dreaming and the terror was much more than she had thought she could bear. Of course, she _had imagined_ how it would feel like if she went back to the Dream World. You'd think she wouldn't be too terrified since she already had been there for a long time… Wrong.

_She was scared to death._

And being hold in the bed by Freddy Krueger himself didn't help at all.

"You didn't think you would be free of me so soon, did you?" He smiled sarcastically and made a mocking-sad face "Oh, that hurts. Really hurts, dear."

She fought to get free, with no success and that just made Freddy smile, as if that was all a big joke. He was enjoyed to see her struggle.

"You sick _pig_! Get off me!" She was not going to give in so soon. Not like that. _Torture me? Understandable. Kill Me? Whatever. Rape me? No way! _

"Whoa, whoa! Quite feisty today, aren't we?" He noticed of what she was scared of and felt triumphant. It hadn't been his intention to give her a scare with that kind of connotation, but he wouldn't complain about it.

Helyse looked to him as if she wanted to spit at him.

"Why, I finally let you alone, you're free of my dreadful company. And now, you come here to bug me?"

Freddy laughed and lifted his finger, as if he was a teacher explaining that one plus one is two to a temperamental child. Inside, he was really pleased by her actions. Most of the girls just wept and cried for mercy, even the ones who used to fight in the beginning, so that was a nice change of scene.

"Me? Blake girl, you're the one who is sleeping! So, who come here? You. Not me." Helyse was about to give another of her sarcastically answers, but she saw his eyes and couldn't even think in what say.

He was a way furious. Mad.

He attacked the couch with his claws, right at the side of her head, catching just some of her hair… But she had felt one of these cold knives touching her face… And remembered. When he had cut her arm, when he had tortured her…

God, she would rather die than go back to that World…

"_I won't beg for my life… I don't want to… If he wants to kill me, that's fine. Just… Just make it painless, please! I had enough pain… I had…"_

She felt his claws at her cheek and looked to him.

"_Gosh, what has bitten him?"_

"You really think you're free? Not even awake you'll be free, stupid girl." He smiled and started to make a small cut at her face, it was a light one but it hurt all the same "What should I do to you this time? Make you decompose as a corpse? Write my name at your body?"

He leaned over her and whispered.

"Maybe… Taste that sweet body of yours?"

She felt his hand going down her belly… The hand with the _claws_, touching her skin, teasing. Not hurting, just touching her belly, not even close of her private area. However, she started to scream as if he was going inside her with these disgusting knives.

Now Helyse was hysterical, in a way he had never seen. Not even when he used to play with her memories of a dark room.

"NO! No… Not it… Don't…" She started to move and fight, not screaming but roaring in hate, tears were coming to her eyes and there was someone was shaking her violently… Violence, always the violence… "Leave me alone!"

She noticed that the one who was shaking her and hitting her face in a friendly way was not Freddy, but Jonathan.

"Wha…"

They were near her, seeming worried. Even Jessica seemed worried with her.

"You fell asleep!" The blonde screamed, pushing Jonathan aside and helping Helyse to sit "Are you all right? Oh God…"

"Your face…" Kurt whispered, touching the fresh blood.

"I'm fine, I'm fine…" She looked to her own body, to her legs and noticed she was all right. Except for the cut in her face. Her shirt had gone up just a little and she fixed it, trying to not blush. "Sorry, I'm not very used to stay awake for so long…"

She was probably looking so weak at their eyes now… But looking to them, she noticed they seemed to understand. They seemed even sincerely worried.

"It happened to me too…" Mark whispered "Once, I even fell asleep right in my father's car… When he noticed I was bleeding, he tried to wake me. It caused a transit accident…" He gave it a weak smile. "I had to lie, he was worried, but he wouldn't have believed me if I told…"

Helyse looked to him in shock. Transit accident? _If_ that had happened in the day she had fall in coma… _If_ was that, Freddy was the one who, indirectly, had made her fall in coma in the first place… Ok, it had been a coincidence, whatever, but she preferred to blame Krueger for everything she could in the moment.

"I think you need a coffee…" Jonathan whispered, but she shook her head. After that scare, she doubted she would sleep again today.

"I'm fine now, really. Just a scare, I…"

"Helyse… Believe me, you _do_ need coffee." Jonathan grabbed her arm, helping (almost making her) stand and pulled her sweetly through the door, despite her protests.

"I'm _fine_, I swear..."

He ignored her and she had no choice, but go with him to the kitchen. Helyse wasn't sure what to take of that, but decided to cooperate at least this time.

"You want sugar or something on it?"

"Actually I'm not very fond of coffee… Any way it's ok, I guess…" Now she was a bit nervous; she had accepted the dream's vision of all them easier than that one, of Jonathan –of someone- helping her and caring about her.

This bothered her a little.

"No problem! Have a seat and make yourself in home."

She sat at a small table, embarrassed and not knowing what say or do. She was acting so stupid…

"You know, you can tell me if there's something bothering you…" He sat with her, giving her a yellow cup with coffee "I mean, about Krueger… No one can imagine what you have been through."

"I'm fine now… I just…" She stopped. Why tell him? There was no use. But something inside her made her tell him another thing "I just wish that all that would just stop, just end."

"As we do. Listen, I know it's hard for you, but there's something you have to keep in mind. Something that I think… _I hope_… That'll help you…"

"What?"

He held her hand and smiled to her. Somehow, she felt herself cold. His hand was so warm.

"You're not alone on this"

Helyse couldn't control herself and a shy, a shadow of a smile, appeared in the corner of her lips and she really wanted to thank him for his kind words. In years, no one had been so nice to her. She had forgotten how it was.

Both jumped when heard a loud crash. But it was just a dish which had fallen of the sink.

"Oh, great… I hate when that happens." He muttered, standing to catch a broom. "My mother has the gift of noticing when something broke… And she can always find some pieces on the floor…"

Helyse stood and went after him.

"I help you to clean this…"

During this, Helyse didn't talk anymore. Somehow, she wanted to go back to her house… She was starting to really know the world and people and she was scared.

"_Hey, it can't be worse than staying stuck with Krueger!"_


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Freddy is Here

**Chapter Thirteen - Freddy is Here.**

The day was bright and warm. When she went out her house, Helyse looked to the clear and beautiful sky for some seconds. She had spent so much time in the darkness of a long nightmare that she had forgotten how the sun was warm and nice… But again, she had kind of reborn, so it was like she was seeing the world for the first time.

"_Back to the routine, that's what…" _She thought while she walked in the empty street to the well-know station of bus "_Maybe I can catch the subjects I've lost with someone… Amelia, maybe. She's the one who seems to have 'accepted' more than the others… Or Kurt" _

She was changing so much. Weeks ago, she wouldn't even think in asking someone for help in anything, but now it was kind of different. Inside, she was a bit scared, she knew very well how she was already labeled in school and wondered if it was best to fight against it now that she had been changed (not much thought) or just use what she was calling 'Control of Heart', to put herself in the old state of 'no-feelings'.

She almost laughed at the very idea. Fighting against that? Helyse knew very well how high school worked. Once you were labeled something, there was no way others would see you for anything that wasn't that label, always shining in what she fancied to be a bloody light of neon.

It never changed. A lot of people got hurt. And the ones who would hurt them didn't care.

"_Unless I'd move of school…" _What was unacceptable for a lot of reasons. That was one school she could pay with her salary, it was the one near of her house…

So, she sighed. Yes… Dream Warrior or not Dream Warrior, she was back to her old life…

**XxX**

Helyse had gone well in the weekend without any sleep, but it was harder to not fall asleep when you're in a boring to death class. She just hated math, she couldn't get it at all and since she had missed a lot of classes, how was she supposed to understand the new subject?

Simple, she was not. And there wasn't much help either, she had never been the "first of the class" in grades and was actually hard for her to understand many things. It wasn't that she was stupid, but sometimes she felt like that.

"_Boring, boring, boring, boring to death!" _She almost laughed, imagining Krueger killing someone of pure and real tedious. That would be, at least, original. Then she thought about Freddy… Helyse never had really thought on him as a person, just like Freddy Krueger, the Dream Demon, etc… For a moment, a brief moment, she wondered how he was when he was alive. She even tried to imagine him as a child, but soon discovered her imagination couldn't go so far…

She was leading her face in her hand, with her eyes closing when she heard a voice in her ear.

"_Thought you didn't want to sleep anymore…"_

Helyse opened her eyes immediately and looked around, feeling her heart beating faster with fear. Nothing… Everybody was just copying whatever was written in the blackboard. But she was still in doubt, so she pinched herself.

It hurt, but nothing else happened. She was awake, all right.

It wasn't the first time she had heard voices. _His _voice.

"_Then, it's the second option. I'm insane after all… This is just a confirmation." _She kept copying the subject, decided to keep her mind busy, so perhaps, she wouldn't be so sleepy. However, Helyse made a mental note on searching for pills later. Coffee, she thought, wouldn't be enough.

Still, she looked around. Things were too strange since she had gone back home… She could feel someone always watching her, sometimes even walking behind her. But couldn't be, after all, she didn't believe in ghosts and Freddy was in the Dream World…

Wasn't him?

"_Well, that's one of those questions we better don't have the answer for, isn't it?" _She had not even finished her thought when she felt hands upon her shoulder. She even saw the form of the hands over her shirt! She didn't do anything except hold her breathe and force herself to not scream.

The blonde girl just closed her eyes taking deep breathes and told herself to ignore it. Maybe it was a hallucination. Like pos-traumatic shock, this kind of thing…

After all, it was impossible to Freddy Krueger to be in the Real World.

Well, maybe not _impossible_, but please! God, or whoever was looking after that World should have some pity of her, right? She had already suffered enough, so she deserved some peace, right?

She didn't need to ask this to know the answer.

That was a big 'no'.

**XxX**

Usually, Helyse lunched alone in a small table next to a window in the snack bar, where she could look to the football campus or sometimes she brought her lunch from home and went to eat in the football campus, alone. But today she had a big surprise when, while she was walking straight to her table, a voice called her.

"Hi Hell! Why don't you sit with us?"

"_Excuse me?" _She thought, looking to see who had called her. Jonathan. And Amelia was waving and smiling as if they were old friends. Of course, Kurt, Jessica and Mark where there too. Helyse didn't expect that and didn't know what do or think for a moment. Someone wanted her to be around? Some people in the near tables looked to Jonathan and to Helyse and then back to Jonathan. She could hear some students (and even some of women who worked at there) whispering in disbelief. Many of them looked to Helyse as if she was a new student, or better, a new and strange kind of life…

Talk about being invisible or something.

But she could hear very well some of the whispers…

"_He asked that _thing_ to sit with them?"_

"_But he's right in call her 'Hell'… She could very well be the demon's child"_

"_I never even saw that girl opening her mouth!'_

"_I don't think she's even human"_

"_Maybe he wants to be gentle; I heard that she was in a coma"_

"_She was? I didn't even notice she wasn't in the class those days!"_

"_She could still be there, what's the difference? Who cares?"_

Helyse was used to this kind of talk when the subject was her. She could remember the first years of school when people couldn't understand why she was so shy and emotionless, so many of them had started to make fun of her... Some of them still did it, but some others acted as if she didn't exist. Now, she wondered what was worse. Never had thought about it, used to be treated like a dog (or worse).

She went to their table and sat there, feeling awkward and uneasy. This was a new situation, so, Helyse found herself sudden nervous, not knowing what say or how to act. And for the first time, caring about what they would think of her and wanting them to like her... Trying to keep control of herself, she told herself to not change her ways just to please people… That was the wish of have friends, to have companion? That was what was making her so nervous and wanting to be… Accepted? She didn't know…

"You look good!" Jonathan said and she felt something strange in her heart. And shock too, because no one, really no one, had ever said that to her.

Maybe he was just being polite.

"So, how was your night? Did you sleep?" Amelia asked. She did a 'no' with her head and Kurt sighed.

"Luck you… My sister did sleep."

Helyse looked right to him, remembering Amanda and that she had saved her life. Actually Helyse had not thought about her or that incident anymore, until now.

"Is she fine?" She thought that it would be best to show concern, but it wasn't hypocrisy. She was a bit worried. Just a little…

"_Yes, I had someone else to play with last night."_

"What?" Helyse asked, swearing she had not listened well. "What do you mean 'play'?"

"Play? I said she did _sleep'. _Kurt seemed not very happy this morning, but probably was because he had been worried with his sister during the night "She's ok, thanks God. I wanted to stay with her but my father never lets me, he says she's a young lady so she has to sleep alone, this kind of things."

"Can we change subject? Talking about these things makes me lose my appetite." Jessica muttered, poking her food with her fork. "Not that I have any, with this food".

"Who does?" Helyse looked to her own dish, but noticed Jonathan was looking to her.

"Is something bothering you?" He whispered. Helyse just shrugged her shoulders, giving reason to Jessica. Did they need to talk about that now?

"No… Just that… Well, sometimes I think _this _is a dream. Like one more of Krueger's 'jokes'… Give me the hope I've wakened and then crush it". It wasn't a total lie. But it wasn't all that. Helyse didn't know what it was. A sense of danger, as if she was not free of Krueger… She was _not_, but that feeling was not like the others had… It was more intense, as if she was still in the boiler room and hearing voices, having the impression someone was following her was not of much help.

"_It never passed through my head, but it's a nice idea… I should try it once." _

She blinked, not believing in what she was hearing and looked to sides. She _had_ heard Krueger's voice, but…

"_I'm right here…" _Standing behind Jonathan with a sick smile, was Freddy Krueger.

He waved in a mocking way. Helyse stood, feeling drops of cold sweat at her forehead.

"Hum… See you later… I… I have to go to the bibliotheca." She did not wait to see any reaction and walked out of the place in fast steps, the well-known feeling of fear overtaking her.

"_Hey, what's the hurry for?"_

Helyse didn't wait nor answered until she found an empty room, in which she entered. She was scared, angry, all in the same time and wondered why she had looked to an empty room and not told to anyone in the table she was seeing Krueger… Above all, what she had in her mind getting alone in a room with Krueger? Did she _want_ to be killed?

"_Good, we have privacy at least!" _He muttered, in that loveable humor he always had. Helyse didn't mind, that was his way and she knew he wouldn't ever change. "_Hate those snack bars! A bunch of fuckers talking loud about bullshit…"_

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked, her voice trembling. She hoped she did not sound as scared as she was… "_God, I am stupid or something? He'll kill me right here!"_

"Now, why I shouldn't be here?_" _It was obvious thathe was enjoying this moment… He smiled and looked at her, pleased of how he had given her a scare and how she was visibly disturbed by him.

"This. Is. Not. The. Dream. World! Do you want me to draw it? You." She pointed to him, using the same voice she would use with a retarded child. "Freddy Krueger. Dream Demon. Dream Killer. Whatever _Dream! _This is _real_ world, so why the hell…?"

He approached, his claws touching her throat and she stopped talking in the right moment.

"Can't you figure this by your own? Poor silly girl_…"_

Furious with that entire situation and his tone of voice, Helyse tried to make a line of thought. If he had come to the real world, there must be a reason.

"In the dream world, you're a dream demon…" She stopped. Yes, it was in the dream realm that he had all those powers and was so strong. But in the real realm… "So, here… You should be real." She wasn't sure of that, if it was like that, why was she only one who could see him? However, when she said "real", a lightning seemed to explode inside her head and her heart started beating faster and to ache "_Mortal_…"

A balloon of hope seemed to blow inside her heart, a sparkle of hope in dark… That died as soon as she saw Krueger smiling, what was never a good signal.

"Oh, right! What a clever girl!"He patted her head as if she was a child or some kind of puppy that learnt a new trick; and talked to her in that baby voice. "Now, should I give you the rest of that line?"

The girl just waited while Freddy pretended to be thinking. God, how she hated him… Her heart was aching again and she was breathing faster, as if she had ran for a long time, but she tried to not show it.

"Well, since you're a good girl, I'll make an exception and tell: This happens if someone drags me here. If I came here by my own, as I did now, than nothing happens to me_."_

Helyse sighed. Great. The first, and maybe only chance of make that bastard mortal had just flew by the window. It was true what they said: Fate was a bitch.

"Great, so now you're what, a hallucination?" She tried to make her voice sound the most sarcastically as possible. But her true question was another. "So why are you here wasting my time?"

He laughed. She took a deep breath to keep herself calm, but she was so _tired _of him.

"You're not acting like the heartless, soulless girl I knew. What changed you? Your new and loveable friends? That guy who cares sooo much about you?"

Helyse lifted her elbows as if Krueger was crazy. She? Changed because of _them_? That was not even considerable… Right? And of whom he was talking about? There was a boy caring about her? Well, it could be Kurt, after all, he had saved her once… In her first meeting with Krueger… Oh, it seemed have been so long time ago… But he didn't seem be talking about Kurt, maybe he had saw Jonathan inviting her to sit with them. Big deal! That did not mean he cared about her… Plus, had he forgotten (or didn't know) that HE was the responsible for the fact that she now had feelings and that it was turning to be really painful? As she was having a heart attack every time she had a too strong emotion? That was HIS fault!

"Could you stop messing with my head and tell me?"

"Messing with you head? I'm being perfectly clear!"He smiled again, in a sicker way. Not as if she was a child, but as if he was about to do some dirty things with her. "It's a precaution. If some of you so called Dream Warriors drag me to the real world, nothing will happen_."_

Noticing her worried and terrified look, he sighed in an annoyed way. He didn't know why he had felt a strange urge to explain himself to her. If Helyse thought he could still kill when they were awake, it would just be better… But he felt the necessity of being honest with her.

"That does not mean I can _kill_ here, stupid girl. But at least I can keep an eye in you all_."_

"And you're following me whyyy?" She asked saying the last word in a sing-song way, as if wanting to annoy him as much as he annoyed her.

"The Dream World is really boring at day when no one is sleeping. And it seems that since I took the strength necessary to come to this plan fromyou, you're the only one who can see and hear me."

Helyse rolled her eyes. Oh, wasn't that great?… Someone up there really hated her. She thought she would be free at least while she was not sleeping and now that 'pleasant' surprise. Was she cursed or something? She was tired of being always afraid, she had had enough of that feeling in the Dream world… And if Helyse was there until now, she would be probably dead by a heart attack and not only because of the stress …

Even now, she was already with a strong headache because of the waves of fear, hope and hate she had felt, so she pulled a chair and sat, her legs too tired to bear her weight. Freddy noticed that, but didn't say anything.

"Sorry if I'm not jumping of joy, but believe me…" She made the worst face she could "I'm _thrilled_ with this… I was missing so much your _loveable_ and _gentle_ company."

A strong bell sounded. Helyse stood, sighing, hoping he wouldn't notice her legs shivering.

"Thanks for making me lose the lunch." She whispered and walked out, not looking behind. Suddenly, she didn't care if Krueger was following her or not… She felt too tired and sad to care… Her eyes were seeing things a bit cloudy and her heart was still beating too fast and hurting as if it was burning. For a second or two, she wondered if she would faint, but the thought of going back to the Dream World and having to put up with Krueger was scaring enough to make her force her legs and head to work…

"_Hating the life but without courage to die…" _She told herself "_It's me… How many times have I laid in my bed, sure that I could hear and sense the cells of my body dying? My heart beating monotone and emotionless, as a clock… Marking the time that I still have before the Death finally takes me? And it's so much time yet, oh God… An entire life, which seems just tiring… I'm tired of being alive and yet, I have no courage to lie down and sleep to let this damned man kill me… Why?"_

She knew why… The answer was the same that was in the Dream World… Krueger would not kill her simply; he would torture her more… Maybe rape her! And what about the souls of his others victims? What if she didn't go to Heaven, Hell, Purgatory or whatever was after life? What if she spent the eternity stuck in his body, always suffering and crying? A ghost of herself?

"_It's_ c_urious… I'm fighting him just because I want to die for real… Die and go to whatever is after this life, even if it's the darkness and nothing… Fighting to die, sounds poetical." _

Helyse shook her head as she entered in the class and sat, very conscious that Krueger was somewhere closer, although she was not seeing him. Maybe he was not in the class, at least… Good, she could try to pay attention in the teacher and forget how she could hear, more than just that, _feel_ her heart beating slowly… Marking the time… A Death Clock…

Soulless?

Emotionless?

Yes. She was all that… But being all that did not mean she was not able to feel _sadness_… Ironical… It was the one of the only feelings she was able to sense without pain. The only one she had felt all her life…

She sighed…

Maybe she should just pick a knife and stick it in her own heart.

It sure would hurt less than being alive the way she was.


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Getting Along?

**Chapter Fourteen – Getting Along?**

Helyse thought she would be free of Krueger, even if he was in the Real World. Maybe he would go see his old house, or potential victims, or whatever he used to do…

So, when the classes were over, she got such a surprise when, while she was putting her material in her backpack, Freddy walked inside the room with a sick smile on his face, and started walking towards her.

"So, school's over, girl? Can we go now?"

There were not many people in the room, but Helyse would not take the risk of being seen talking to herself, so she said nothing, and just looked into his eyes for a brief moment. She just wanted to go home, do her homework, and go to work. Maintain her routine, but, if he decided to follow her, it could be a little hard.

She walked out of the classroom, looking down. Freddy followed her, not caring if she didn't want him around (and she really didn't, and he knew it). One thing was pretty obvious to him: Helyse was not a popular girl. Even if he had not noticed this before, the way people acted towards her showed it very well that day. Actually, it made him remember his own childhood. Not that it made him feel sorry for her in any way.

As if his thoughts were like a call, while she walked through the hallway, three girls walked towards her with smiles on their faces. Knowing children as well as he did, Freddy knew they were not going to say or do anything nice. They were beautiful; he had to give it to them: soft skin and hair, and eyes shining a light that Helyse's never would.

Very few people talked to the girl. She really was invisible, and the few who talked to her used really evil words, as if it was fun to put her down. No, scratch that. It _was _fun to put her down, at least to them. Anyone could see it in their eyes how much fun they found in saying the most awful things, as if trying to make her show some feeling, but she didn't. Even if she cried and asked them to stop (which she never did), they would just laugh at her.

One of these girls, with black hair, started to walk by her side as if they were old friends. The others, a brown-haired girl and a redhead, walked by her other side. Helyse looked pretty much like a lamb surrounded by wolves. A weak lamb that knows it's time to die has come, and knows that there is nothing it can do to avoid it, so it stands and waits for the the pain of having every member taken off by sharp and cold teeth.

"So, did anyone notice you're alive today?"

Helyse said nothing. It was no use. She just had to wait, and eventually, they would leave her alone. It was strange. Sometimes when you don't react to the teasing, people leave you alone for good. But with the few schoolmates that talked to her (always to insult her, except for Jonathan who had been the first one to talk politely with her in that stupid place) was different.

"We're talking to you. Are you deaf?" The redheaded mocked "It's really rude of you ignore us, after all, we are being so _nice_ talking to you."

Helyse kept her silence, and didn't even move her eyes. Freddy just watched, remembering of when he was a child and the others used to mock him, calling him the "son of a hundred maniacs". Just the Dream Warriors had talked with Helyse, the others just ignored her, and teachers seemed to not notice if she was around or not.

"Very rude indeed." The brown haired girl said, and the black haired one suddenly pushed Helyse with all her strength, making her fall, hitting her hurt shoulder. "You're such a pain."

Helyse just stayed on the floor, her lion-fur hair falling and hiding her face, but not enough to hide that her expression had not changed. She turned and tried to pick up her binder, but one of the girls stepped on her hand as if she wanted to break her bones. Helyse didn't do anything but tried to get her hand free.

"Cry. Cry, you bitch!" The brunette said "C'mon! Cry and I'll release you!"

In response, Helyse just pulled her hand, trying to get free by force.

"You never laugh or cry." The brunette kept talking, in a calm voice as if all that was normal and even boring. "I know you're a damned freak, but that's too much, don't you think?"

She released Helyse with a face of disgust, as if she had stepped in something stinky and unpleasant. The girl just picked up her binder and stood.

"You live alone, right?" The red-head asked, laughing. "Why? Did your mommy and daddy run away because they didn't want to raise a creature like you?"

Helyse just began to walk away again. Freddy didn't understand why she wasn't fighting back. Deep inside, he even expected that she'd ask for help, even if it was from _him_. Not bear it in silence as she was doing now.

But sometimes there was no way to fight back. You could try all ways that existed (from ignoring to answering with the old violence) and they would keep the teasing, the mocking, as if there was no way to stop them… And sometimes, there wasn't.

"Why don't you just die, Blake?" Black-Hair asked, holding her shoulder, pushing her fingernails against Helyse's skin as a hawk nailing a rabbit to kill it. "Why can't you just die or go away? Can't you see that no one wants you around?"

She let her go with a sick smile.

"Well, but who would ever want you around? You're no good to anyone, anyway."

Helyse just looked to them as if asking if they had something more to say. It was pretty scary to see those dark blue eyes so emotionless. If they were cold or full of hate, it would be better, because at least they would have some emotion. But looking at them was like looking at…well, nothing. Zero.

"You're such a bitch." The black haired girl whispered. "It would be better if you disappeared."

With that, she turned around and made a signal to the others. Helyse turned and kept on walking, as if nothing had happened. The sadistic part of Freddy wanted to see her crying and begging help, but another part was feeling sorry for her. Just a little.

"So, is it like this every day?" He asked. Helyse could not answer out loud, but she nodded. Her hand would probably have a bruise, but she didn't even look at it (and thought she would have to be tortured before confessing, those things did hurt her. They always did, but what was the point in showing it?). Freddy could not say those girls were not right: Helyse was scary and somehow a freak. The lack of emotion in her was strange and disturbing. But he had saw emotion in her at times. When he hurt her, at least she showed fear, when he had taken her to see Scott's death, she had almost smiled, but that day she had not smiled, or even cried. She barely talked.

Freddy didn't know that deep inside, Helyse was still learning to have emotions again, and how painful it was for her. Sometimes she wondered if it would be healthier to stay as she was, since at least she would not feel as if she was having a heart attack each time she felt something really strong… Yes, she still could feel some things… Fear and sadness. That was the only reason those words of people like those three girls managed to hit her… But aside those two feelings, there was nothing much left to feel.

Deep inside, she was wondering what she would do. Krueger was not going to walk with her to her house, right? Oh, no way she would have him in her house! No, that would be much too awful! Not just because she lived alone, but, damn. She was a girl and he was a man, a man with an evil and perverted mind. She _so_ did not want to stay alone with him!

Freddy didn't say anything, and just walked with her until the bus station. She noticed that he entered with her and sighed. It seemed like she was not going to be free of him anytime soon! He could be worse than some annoying ghost from some slasher movie, sometimes. She just stood next to the door, holding the metal part. She knew that Freddy was behind her, but could not see his reflection in the glass of the door.

Behind her, Freddy just looked at the girl close him. He leaned a bit and touched his face lightly in her hair, so lightly in fact, that she didn't seem to notice what he was doing. Freddy himself didn't even know what he was doing, but somehow he wanted to do it for a long time now. To touch her hair, her skin. To feel her near him. Somehow, touching her like this, without being to hurt her, seemed to make her… More real? He didn't know how to explain, but it was something along those lines. Now, that he was so close, she seemed as small and delicate as a porcelain doll. Maybe because she had been away since she had awoken, and he had forgotten how she was.

He had to admit that he had missed her. Somehow, after she had woken up, his boiler room seemed to be boring and he found himself missing her presence, the way she used to sing, and although they had just _really_ talked once, he missed it too. Strangely, he didn't miss the moments when he had tortured her until she cried and begged him to stop.

Looking at her face reflected in a ghostly way in the glass, he noticed that she still had the same expression she used at her school. Or no expression. Whatever. He had to say that she was not the kind of girl someone would look at twice. She was not beautiful (not that she was ugly either) but God gives everyone something pretty. And in Helyse, that thing was the eyes. Those deep, mysterious eyes, dark blue like the deepest ocean. In the very few times that he had seen some emotion in them, they had shined so much they look like gems. Well, yes, most of the times it was due to the tears he made her cry.

"_What the hell am I'm doing?" _He thought, opening his eyes, still feeling her hair in his face, and smelling her sweet scent. "_Why hell I'm feeling like I care about her? I do not care! She is just a piggy for me to kill!"_

The door of the bus opened, and Helyse jumped out, followed by Freddy. She walked in silence, very aware of him at her side. It was weird, and somehow annoying.

"Why won't you say something? The street is empty, if you haven't noticed."

Again, nothing. He sighed in an annoyed way. What was she doing? Playing hard to get?

"You can't ignore me forever, Blake. Just so you know, I'm not leaving."

She looked to the sides, as if confirming that the street was really empty, before looking to him.

"Why? Go do something. You don't need to stay with me." She looked forward again, "I don't do anything useful or good for you with my presence, as you do nothing good with yours. At least not to me. So, leave.'

"Sharp words! Now you're a bit more like the Blake I know!" He laughed just to receive a strange look from Helyse. But she did have a point: Like him, she was practical and was just telling the truth. Indeed, her company couldn't do anything for him, so why? He could say it was because of being in the Real World. Well, alone and invisible could be boring but it wasn't just that. It was because, deep inside, he really wanted to stay with her. Nothing more.

She shook her head. Her throat was tingling and she wanted to sing, but now with Freddy around, she was a bit shy to do it. She had never sung with him around like this.

Noticing it, she slapped herself in her mind. What the heck was that? She was caring about what he thought of her? To hell with him! He was following her like a dog because he wanted to, so if he didn't want to hear her singing, screw him! She would not change her routine or stop doing the things she liked to do because of him. This was not the Dream World, so the rules were not his rules.

But she could not think of a good song, so she just kept quiet.

**XxX**

At her house, Helyse started to make her lunch. Spaghetti sounded great. She turned to Freddy, who was sitting at the table, just looking to her. The whole observation was starting to make her feel uncomfortable, and she sensed her face getting hotter. She sighed.

"Do you have to eat? I mean, although you seem kind of like a ghost here, do you need to eat?"

Even if he needed to, she was not going to share her food.

"I can if I want, but I don't actually need to." He smiled to her sarcastically "And I sense that you wouldn't share your food anyway."

She smiled back, as sarcastically as him.

"You got that right." She sat, starting to eat. She was starving. Freddy just kept looking at her. Helyse looked to him while she was chewing, as if asking why he was still there.

"So, is it like this every day at your school? With people teasing you?" He didn't expect her to answer, but to his surprise she did.

"Actually, yes. People can treat me as the sacrificial goat or ignore me. You saw it today. Many people don't see me." That was true in an almost literal way. "Why the question?"

"I've noticed that…" He stopped, choosing his words very carefully. "Well, we kinda spent time together and I don't know anything about you. So, I'm curious."

Helyse blinked, but just sighed and kept on eating. Then she decided to ask something she had been thinking about.

"Why do you kill people? I mean, what's your story?" He looked to her a bit confused; no one had ever asked him that. Taking that he was offended, she added "You don't need to tell me, I was just wondering."

"I killed children when I was alive. Their parents burned me, so I started to kill their children. Why? Are you going to tell me how awfully wrong is to kill?" He laughed, but noticed Helyse's eyes and stopped.

"No, I won't. Do as you please. I have nothing to do with it."

They sat in silence for some time.

"How do you survive? I've noticed that you live alone." Freddy expected something like she had inherited money or something like that.

"I work. What else could I do?" She asked, really shocked. Wasn't that the obvious question? By the brief look that she noticed in Freddy's eyes, she could tell he was thinking something else.

"_Gosh, let me get this straight. I'm really sitting here talking with him? He wanted to kill me, he tortured me. Why am I…?"_

She decided not to ask herself about it. She would not admit it, but it felt good have someone around at home. It made her feel less lonely. Even if it was Freddy Krueger. Plus, he was not acting like himself. He was actually being polite towards her.

It didn't seem like the Krueger who had tortured her.

She stood and started to wash the dish and pan she had used, feeling he was still looking at her. Why was that? Why couldn't he stop? She looked to him and tried to send him a friendly smile, but all she could do was a weak version of it. A little shy smile…

"There something on my back, Krueger?"

To her surprise, Freddy blushed a bit. She almost missed it due his burned face. Ok, that was strange. And she couldn't help but think he looked, well, a bit cute. Angry, but cute. She had never even thought he could look like this…

"If you want me to look at the roof or something, just say so. If you haven't noticed, I'm bored here." He answered in a rude tone.

"Then go outside. Go see if Springwood has changed too much since you died." She answered and turned back to the dishes. Ironically, she was thinking that he was being polite for once, but then he was back to his old ways.

Bastard.

_Don't bury me, I'm not yet dead  
Don't bury me, I'm not yet dead  
Don't bury me, I'm not yet dead  
Not a walking zombie with no head  
Not a Stepford wife made to obey  
Don't want to go through life that way_

Freddy looked at her. It seemed like so much time had passed since the last time he had heard her singing. Helyse seemed not to care if he was there or not. And she wasn't. That was her home and she could and would do as she pleased. End of story.

_I'm alive, I'm alive  
That's what I say  
I'm alive, I'm alive  
Gonna live that way  
I'm alive, I'm alive  
That's what I say  
I'm alive, and I'm gonna live today_

That was right. She was still alive, and therefore, she had to keep fighting. Lately she was trying to care, to really care to her life, to not wanting to die, like everyone else. But no, she still didn't care.

Well, she couldn't care if she was alive or not, but since she _was, _then she had to live they way she wanted.

After all, she highly doubted that she would last until the end of the year.

_Do robots dream of electric sheep?  
I need to live my dreams  
Not just in my sleep  
I've been hold up here  
But its time to leave  
I need to make my move  
While I've air to breathe  
Don't give me drugs, no Novocain  
I must be alive, 'cause I still feel pain  
_

If she really needed to live her dreams, then she was screwed. Which she kind of was, anyway. She was living her dreams, after all. And who was guilty? Freddy Krueger. Since he had appeared in her life, things had gotten even worse.

Speak of the Devil; he still sat there looking at her. Gosh, couldn't he stop? She was starting to feel like an animal in the zoo. And Freddy knew it. It was even funny see how she was getting annoyed by his gaze. And was it just him, or was she blushing a bit?

_We were born with wings  
We were made to fly  
We were meant to live  
While we're still alive_

She could always fly when she sang. At least in those times, she could have feelings; she could be in peace. But, if she had been born with wings, meant to fly, then they had cut her wings when she was five years old. That's for sure.

She looked at Krueger, as if asking for him to go away; to stop looking at her. To leave her alone. He noticed it, but he didn't move.

She had asked why he was following her. The answer was simple. It was because he wanted to be with her, and deep inside, he knew it. The girl was making him feel as if he was… he didn't want to consider it, but he somehow felt possessive of her. That day, when he had saw her going over to sit with Jonathan and the others Dream Warriors, he had felt a wave of fury in his chest.

_I'm alive I'm alive  
That's what I say  
I'm alive I'm alive  
Gonna live that way  
I'm alive I'm alive  
That's what I say  
I'm alive, and I'm gonna live today_

Could it be that he just wanted her? If it was just lust, he could understand, but it didn't feel like it. If it was just lust, then he would just grab her and take her. He had seriously thought about it, just to see he could do it.

Why? He _could _take her by force if he wanted her. Why make things so difficult?

_I'm alive, I'm alive  
That's what I say  
I'm alive, I'm alive  
Gonna live that way  
I'm alive, I'm alive  
That's what I say  
I'm alive, and I'm gonna live today_

She turned her back to him, going to the room where she had left her backpack.

"What are you going to do?" He asked, just to say something. Helyse sighed, as if thinking that life with him would be really hard.

"Homework, what else?" She started to do her exercises in silence, but Freddy looked at her paper. It was pretty clear she was not good at math. It was a mess.

"You have to discover the delta of the equation first.", He announced. The girl looked to him, not understanding. Freddy sat at her side and showed her, but she was still blinking. Helyse could not understand. The Dream Demon, Freddy Krueger… _Freddy Krueger _was _helping _her with _math_? Oh, there was something really weird and wrong with that scene.

"What are you doing?"

He looked at her sarcastically.

"Let's see. You suck at math and I'm helping you. What's the deal, Helyse?"

Things were getting even weirder.

"You called me by my first name."

Freddy noticed that it was true, and saw her point immediately. What _was_ he doing? Helping her with _math_? He was a killer, not a teacher! '_Fuck, fuck, fuck, and fuck' _He thought, without thinking of any comeback.

Helyse was in shock. He was helping her, and had called her by her first name. What would come next? He would make her dinner? Oh, if someone ever knew of this…

Both stared at each other. Both blushed, not knowing what to say or do. This situation was totally unexpected. But both had to admit that after they had spent so much time together (even if Helyse still had one or two scars to remember it), they were not so hostile towards each other anymore.

Not that that meant they were friends, but even so… She gave him that weak excuse for smile, but this one seemed a little more real. A shy one, though.

For the first time, Freddy thought she actually looked cute.

"So, after discovering the delta of the equation, what have do I have to do, _Freddy_?"

The last thing that the both had expected to happen since the first time they met was actually happening: They were getting along.


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Dream Powers

**Chapter Fifteen – Dream Powers **

Later on that day, Helyse was at her job. During the night, she worked as a waitress at a small snack bar. She had been worried about the time she had been in a coma, but to her luck, she had not lost her job because no one would tell her boss that she was in the hospital. Actually, after a few days of being absent, they had looked for her and found out where she was. Helyse was a bit surprised that someone had cared enough to search for her, but of course they had done it just because she _worked_ there and she couldn't be fired if she was in the hospital. So, it was not because someone cared _for her_ and, again, she didn't give a damn.

To make it all better, Freddy was not there. She did not need him importuning her at her job, not that he had _really_ importunate her... Honestly, he had been sort of nice that afternoon and had helped her with some of the homework she did not understand. No one had ever helped her before and she never had expected something like that from _Freddy_!

But even if he had been "nice" (as nice as he could be, since his mood and manners never changed) it was a good thing that he was not there because Helyse felt like she had to organize her thoughts. How come he was nice to her? And why had she even liked his company? Usually, she accepted her new feelings without questioning much, but this time was different, very different. Maybe she was just used to his company or something like that? After all he had done, all the wounds he had given her, how could she just accept his company like that? Anyone would say that it was crazy.

"_Maybe it's not. He cannot kill here"_

"_No, but he can hurt. And you know that he will do that sometime. He wants to kill you" _A voice replied coolly in her mind. Helyse recognized it immediately. It was the same voice she always heard, the one that had warned her when she had thought about helping Amanda, Kurt's sister. The one that had told her that 'playing hero' was not something that suited her. Helyse didn't mind hearing that voice, and was even pleased about it. Most would say it was a sign of madness, but she had been hearing that voice her whole life so, to her, it was a good thing, a _normal_ thing.

Even if that voice was her conscience or not, it didn't matter.

"_I haven't heard from you for a while."_

"_Missed me, sweet?" _The voice mocked. The voice of the girl without feelings she had been. No, that she _still_ was… She was learning that it was not so difficult to put her feelings away, and was becoming quite good at it.

"_Can't say."_

"_Yes, you can. You are feeling your heart again. The last time you felt it, how old were you? Oh, but let's not avoid the topic. You're losing your little, sorry mind."_

"_Give me a break. I know he can hurt me."_

"_And you're enjoying his company? Keep going, 'Hell' and you'll end up in a room with white and padded walls."_

"_I don't care" _and that was true.

"_You say you're fighting because you don't want to die by Freddy's hands. That shit about 'dying-for-real'. But your new friends can die…"_

"_They are _teammates_. Not friends. And I don't care if they die. I don't give the slightest shit."_

"_Oh, is that so?"_

Helyse waited, but the voice was silent now and the part of her brain where she felt the voice came from felt like it was empty. A strange expression, but she could not think of a better one. But it was true; she could not say those people were her friends. They didn't know each other and just because they were all against Freddy, that didn't make them 'friends'. So, why would she care about them?

That just made her thoughts go back to Freddy and the time they had spent together, especially that afternoon.

"Oh, screw it" She murmured to herself. "At least he helped me…"

"_That doesn't make any sense. Why would Freddy help me? And with homework, of all things" _Yeah. That did not make sense… Freddy didn't even like her! And she didn't like him. She accepted his company because she could never do anything about it; it was the only rational reason. But again, why would he want to be with her?

"_Fuck! There must be a way I can figure this out in a rational, clear way without putting my feelings away."_

The phone rang and she picked it up, expecting it to be someone ordering a snack.

"Jack's Snack, good night."

"Helyse, is that you?" She blinked, recognizing the voice. Why the hell was he calling her? No, snap out of it. He was probably just calling the snack bar to order something, not to talk with her. That was what she hoped, because she had a sensation that he would just make that mess in her head even worse.

"Yes, I believe so. I work here. What is your order, Jonathan?"

The boy hesitated and Helyse just waited. In her mind, she remembered his face and his eyes… The way he spoke to her was very kind and sweet. She could not remember someone being as gentle as he was with her, and without any _reason _to be like this… Helyse was used to living in a world where everything needed a reason (even people's feelings) and she did not see what utility she could possibly have to make him be so gentle.

"Jonathan?"

"I was calling to talk with you."

Helyse felt her heart jump. First he had invited her to sit with him and his friends, now he was calling her at work. What would come next? Why was he doing this?

"_Snap out of it, stupid. Probably he wants to talk about something relating to the Dream Warriors. He is not calling to talk to you because of you…'"_

Like always, she heard that voice, and believed it. It was the truth that she had known her whole life, and she accepted it with her heart in peace.

"Something happened with one of the guys?"

"Well, remember we were talking about showing you the Dream Powers? We thought we'd do it today… Maybe you can come over here? Escape your job tonight?"

"Wait a minute, and go _where_?"

"Come to my house. We will sleep a bit here and try to tell you more about the powers."

Going to sleep at a guy's house was something that Helyse had never even thought to do. Something in her belly seemed to ache, but the girl did not mind. She was not all innocent, and knew very well what could happen if she went to sleep at the house of a guy she barely knew. But as always, Helyse didn't care much about herself. Plus, it seemed that the others would be there, too. Right?

"I think I can do it. I'll see if I can go in five minutes…"

"Great! We'll be waiting!" She just agreed. It was ironic, she was thinking that she would be free of Freddy this one night, but no, she was going to sleep at Jonathan's house. What for? For her to discover her 'dream power'. That was bullshit; she had no power in dreams… She was sure of that.

After all, she had no dreams. Only nightmares.

**XxX**

Although Helyse had never been to a pajama party, so to speak, she could say that this was not going to be a happy party. Actually, it was not going to be a party at all.

No one was wearing pajamas, just normal clothes (which was nothing really surprising) and whoever looked at their faces would think that someone had died recently. She was nervous again, without knowing what to do, but decided to ignore that.

Against her will, her mind started to remember back when she was in a coma. She never had showed any power… Well, sometimes she could change the place a bit she was when she sang, but not very much.

Classical music was playing, to help them to fall asleep. Helyse thought it was a good idea, better than just laying down and waiting to feel like sleeping, which no one really wanted to do once they knew what and who would be waiting in the shadows of the Dream World. Knowing that the darkest fears of their hearts would be released, the most awful thoughts they had would be loose and those things would merge and come after them like black hounds from Hell, running after them and, eventually, catching them.

Because they could not run from those hounds, composed by the fears of their minds and hearts. How can someone run from something that is _inside_ of them? And that is a part of them?

One thing that Helyse did not miss was that there were at least three clocks there to wake them up. Deep inside, she thought it was good to use one clock, but three was too much. Something in that scene made her shiver.

"I don't know…" She muttered "Wouldn't it better if I went to sleep by myself and you guys wake me up if it seems I'm in… Well, in trouble?" Even if they were not friends, she found out that she did not want to put anyone in danger. Having everyone sleeping just to show her the dream powers and to try to find out which one was hers seemed too dangerous. Plus, she was not worth it.

"I think she is right!" Jessica answered in the same moment "Plus, she can deal with it again, right, Hell-Child?"

Helyse didn't know if Jessica was mocking her name or if she was just scared. Deep inside, it was ok when people called her 'Hell', but she didn't like to be called 'Hell-Child', it was the same as calling her 'Devil-Child', at least when Jessica called her that. Not wanting to argue about it, she just nodded in silence.

"You do what you want to, Jessica, but I'm sleeping with her!" Jonathan said loudly. Everyone looked at him, either blinking or staring with their mouths open. He blushed, noticing that he had used words that could have a double meaning.

"Well, if is that so, it's better if we leave you both alone…" Mark said smirking while Amelia tried to hold in a laugh. Jessica looked disgusted. Helyse did not react to the phrase, but Jonathan did.

"I DID NOT MEAN IN _THAT_ WAY!" He screamed, his face as red as a tomato. "I, I just think that she should not go to the Dream World alone! That's it!"

"I don't think that is really necessary… I will be fine." Helyse was ignored. In the end, everyone except Jessica wanted to go with her. She didn't understand why they were doing this: Risking their lives just to help her with this whole thing concerning her dream power. A power that maybe she didn't even have! _Why were they doing this?_ Deep inside, she felt ashamed that she had been so resolute about not caring if they would die in that fight or not.

They just lay on the sofa or sat in the armchairs in the room. Helyse lay on the floor, and after a moment, Amelia laid next to her as if they were children pretending to be sleeping in a cabin in a jungle… She held Helyse's hand and smiled at her.

"It will be all right, Hell…" She closed her eyes. Helyse stared to the girl as if she was crazy. Why had she told her such nice words? Why was she being gentle with her? A part of her was grateful and starting to see Amelia as a friend (the first friend in her whole life), but another part kept it cold and distant, telling Helyse that Amelia would never be so sweet if they were not in such an extreme situation. If Helyse was not a Dream Warrior (well, at least _could_ be a Dream Warrior) she would never bother with her.

Helyse closed her eyes. It was true, she knew no one would even look at her if the situation was not that one, but even so… She was… She was _happy_…

**XxX**

"Well, point to you Kurt, that music did help us to get here." Mark was saying when Helyse opened her eyes and saw she was laying in the boiler room's floor. She felt a bit nostalgic. After all, she had been used to that place and now was back there… Not that she had missed it, but it sure brought back memories.

"I told you it would help! It was far better than your idea." He replied smiling. Jessica asked him what idea Mark had had and the guy smiled, "Mark wanted us to take some sleeping pills."

"Oh, that's not a good idea. Then we would need seven clocks to wake us up!" Jessica replied a bit sharp and noticed that Helyse was standing. She smiled "So, does it bring memories, Hell Child?"

Helyse pretended she had not listened. She looked around, but Freddy was not there yet. She looked to her "teammates", waiting to see if they had changed or something, but physically they seemed to be the same ones, except that Jessica's clothes had changed. She was wearing a top and pants in black leather, and her hair fell along her back, prettier than ever. Helyse could not help but think of one of the outfits in _Charlie's Angels_, but it suited Jessica, who was indeed very beautiful.

"Jessica likes to change her looks in dreams." Kurt explained, seeing Helyse looking at the girl.

"Well, it's a dream!" Jessica replied "I did not say anything about _your_ dream, right?" She turned to Helyse with a proud smile "In my dreams, I can fight. I'm strong and I do not need any man to help me."

"Yeah, you sure do not look like a 'damsel in distress' now, but if some cockroach appears…" Mark joked, receiving a sharp look from Jessica, who pretended to try to kick him. Indeed, she was more agile and if that kick was for real, she could have caused Mark's face to explode.

"Nice kicks, right?" Amelia commented "I think no one would mess with Jessica if she was like that in real life. As for me…"

Amelia lifted her hand and pointed to a broken pipe that started to levitate.

"Hey, telekinesis… Cool…" Helyse murmured.

"Calm down, Carrie White." Mark joked and took something out his belt and, in a flash of light, he hit the pipe that broke and fell. Then Helyse saw that what he had in his hand was a light saber, just like in _Star Wars_. She blinked for a few seconds, the light almost hurting her eyes.

"No need to explain."

"Mark is a fan of _Star Wars_…" Jessica rolled her eyes and Mark stated that she could not talk about him being fan of _Star Wars_ when it was so clear that she was fan of _Charlie's Angels_.

"There they go again…" Jonathan rolled his eyes and showed Helyse the two guns he was holding. "Well, in my dreams, I'm the best shooter ever."

"And that can just be in your dreams, _lousy_ _shooter_." Mark answered, but when Jonathan was about to answer he went back to his arguing with Jessica, ignoring whatever Jonathan would say. Jonathan sighed and murmured something that sounded like "_I give up._"

"Go ahead, you can say it: We're a fiasco." Jonathan sighed, but Helyse just shrugged with a gentle expression in her face.

"At least you have powers." She turned to Kurt "What about you, Kurt? What can you do in your dreams?"

Kurt just smiled, and then ran towards her so fast that Helyse was not able to even see his movements. If he wanted to, he could have punched her right in the face and she wouldn't have been able to avert it.

"Ok, guess there is no need of explanation." She said in a whisper. He was really fast, and it could be really useful in a fight. She felt them looking at her as expecting her to do something, to show a useful power. But she had nothing.

"Think Helyse. What is your biggest dream?"

She felt ashamed and looked to the floor, not knowing what to say. They had defined dreams and fears and she didn't even know what she truly wanted. What she wanted to do and could do in her dreams. There must be something; everyone has those kinds of dreams, so she had to have it too.

"I… I think it is…"

She could not end her sentence because in that moment, the floor had started to melt. Freddy knew they were there and now it was time to have one more fight. Kurt tried to run, but the floor was already too melted to be possible to even to walk on it. It was like quicksand. They fought to get free, but they couldn't do anything. Amelia even tried to lift their bodies, but it was harder to lift bodies rather than objects and so her power was useless.

Jonathan tried to hold Helyse's hand.

"HELYSE!"

**xXx**

How long had she been lying on the cold and hard floor? She did not know. By the way, it brought to her a strong feeling of déjà vu. She arose in silence, trying to keep herself calm. There was no reason to really be afraid, right? She knew this place very well.

She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her heartbeats went slower and she felt herself calming down. No fear, for there wasn't anything to fear yet. No worry, because she was fine. No hope for waking up alive, because the future didn't matter.

Pushing feelings away was getting easier each time she did so.

"Does it bring back memories, Hell Child?" She mocked, imitating Jessica. Yes, it did bring back memories, but she could not say that they were happy ones. No, scratch that. Her time in the boiler room had been dreadful, but not entirely. There were times when she was all right and did not complain about being there. The first talk she had had with Krueger, for example, had been quite nice and even if she tried not to think about it, Russo's death also had been fun for her. Oh, if one of the others ever heard that, they would _kill_ her.

Now, what would she do? Find the others? There was no point in her even be there if she had no powers. Surely they would dump her now… Why would they want to hang out with her if she was useless? She was not stupid enough to believe that they would even want to be her friends when the fight had ended (and if they would be still alive at the end of it).

She remembered Jonathan. He had screamed for her while they were falling. Not even knowing why, she felt her face blushing. Why was he so worried for her? Being so gentle with her? It was so… _Reasonless_.

Helyse touched her face, feeling that it was still warm. Why was that?

"_Maybe I have no powers, but I can still find them. It's safer to be together." _She knew she could do _that_. Trusting in her basic instincts, she walked slowly, looking for them and wondering if she should scream, but it was better not to… Maybe Freddy still didn't know _where_ she was and she was not feeling up to having a talk with him.

She stopped near the place where Taýra had died and at the stairs that went down the floor and remembered that time, without any expression on her face. For a moment, she closed her eyes. No, it didn't matter now. What mattered was to find the others. She concentrated, trying to hear if someone was screaming, but she could not hear anything…

"Worried about your friends?" She turned to face Freddy, who seemed really pissed off, which usually meant that someone would get hurt, but she could not see why he would be pissed off at her! She hadn't done anything.

"Did you hurt them?" She asked quietly, looking to the place where Taýra had died, and tried to not sound scared, but she didn't need to try. She was not scared. Without feelings, all that really worked was her mind, and Freddy had not tried to hurt her, he had not even raised his hand. So, there was nothing to be afraid of. Fear was something she always felt, but only when there was something hurting her or threatening her life, which always brought the survival instinct up.

Freddy laughed and came closer.

"No, first I came to see you." He walked towards her. He had to kill that girl, she was driving him insane! Why the hell had he been so close to her earlier on the bus? Why had helped her with her stupid homework? He had almost held her hand while teaching her! He was not supposed to be doing such things. He was a killer, for Hell's sake, not her caretaker.

She was not looking at him. He didn't understand what was making Helyse change so much. When he had met her, she was a quiet, soulless, pathetic-looking girl. But when she had talked to him, he had managed to see at least a part of her true self, and it was like finding something lost in a dark, frozen ocean of blood. Now, sometimes she seemed to be hurt, and she usually massaged her chest as if her heart was aching. Sometimes, she seemed about to have a heart attack, and suddenly, she was back to being a soulless girl. Somehow, he wanted to know what was wrong with her.

Being in front of her, he tried once more to see her fears. Usually, the biggest fears of people were defined, and simple in their essence. Fear of bugs, of dying, of something happening to their loved ones. Helyse was different. He was not stupid, and could see that she had emotional problems, but that was way too strange for him. In that moment, he could see her mind, and there were just few scenes about fear. Hurt, pain, chains, a dark room and someone talking to her… But no more. When he tried to reach that complex fear to understand it, it was like he was trying to go into a part of her mind that was locked and guarded. There was a time when he had tried so hard that _his_ mind had been hurt, as if she had a black, murderous, and cruel animal inside her mind which would keep that part of her mind safe from him. Safe from anyone.

Once, he had used the scene of that fear: The dark room with chains. But that was not the essence of her fear. She had no fear of darkness, or of chains; it was something deeper. Having no access to see what it was, he had just hurt her. By using pain, he could make her feel fear, but he never stopped wondering what had happened to the girl to cause what she was nowadays.

"What are you looking at, Freddy? Is there something on my face?" She turned to him, and he took another step closer. Now, they were too close to each other, and Helyse was holding the parapet as if she was worried he would try to push her or something like that. They stared at each other, one wondering what the other was doing.

"You did not answer my question, Helyse." He smiled "And you do know that I am not a patient man, don't you?"

She felt his breath on her face and turned away, but Freddy turned her face back, making her look at him. When she tried to turn her face again, he held her stronger, almost hurting her. She decided to not test her limits; he was not in the mood for that.

"I am not worried about them…" Her whisper was quietly, almost kind.

Freddy shook his head and put a knife of his glove upon her lips, pressing it gently as if teasing her.

"You also know that I happen to hate when little girls lie to me, don't you?" He held her by the hair, pulling her closer "And you are worried, especially for that Johnny-boy, right?"

Helyse tried to get free, but it was useless. She tried step on his foot, but all she got was pain in _her_ foot. What did that guy have in his shoes? Stones?

Freddy leaned his face closer. Black eyes on dark blue ones, the first ones cold and angry, the latter just like the ocean and equally cold… Cold on the surface, but deep inside they were… They were just…

A pipe flew through the air and hit Freddy on his head.

"LEAVE HELYSE ALONE!" It was Amelia. Freddy let go of Helyse, who ran to the other girl. Oh, God, what had happened there? She still felt her heart racing, and the place where he had grabbed her arm was still warm from his touch, but it did not hurt.

"Hell, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Where are the others?" Amelia shrugged her shoulders, showing that she didn't know. Both girls didn't wait anymore, and started to run. Helyse decided to try to think of some dream, about whatever dream she had ever had, trying to find her power in it. Her biggest dream… What was that?

"Did Freddy hurt you?" They stopped for a minute, tired and without any ideas of what they should do. Helyse shook her head and decided to change the subject before Amelia decided to ask why Freddy was so close to her, but she could not say a word.

"I'm starting to think that this was really a bad idea."


	16. Chapter Sixteen Helyse's Biggest Dream

**Chapter Sixteen – Helyse's Biggest Dream**

The girls started to walk together through the boiler room, knowing that they had to find the others. And soon. They were tired, no one would wake up without the alarms, not even if they hurt themselves, both, Helyse and Amelia, were fully aware of such fact.

They _had_ to find the others, but where could they _be_?

"Do you have any idea of where they could be, Hell? I mean…" Amelia looked around, unease, nervous. "You _have_ spent a lot of time here."

"I have, and yes, I know this place. But I cannot say where the others are." She kicked a pipe lightly, remaining very calm despite the situation. "I wish my dream power was to sense where they are."

Amelia didn't answer this. In her mind, the dream power always showed something about the person. Like a dream can show their wishes, the dream power has something to do with their personalities.

As for Helyse, she was not thinking about it, but rather about Krueger. He had said she was caring for the others. Was she? Was she really caring for them? To her surprise, she found out that she _was_. It was the first time in her life that she had friends, and in the beginning she hadn't noticed that she was caring for their sakes, and even when she pushed her feelings away, Helyse thought about them and if they would be fine. It was a thought without caring, without love, but even so, a thought about their well-being.

Suddenly, the pipes started to move all around. Many of them broke and set off smoke and water. The girls couldn't see anything but, by the noise, they could tell that all of the pipes were moving and breaking, taking sharp forms.

They couldn't see each other anymore, smoke filling the air.

"Helyse, where are you?" Amelia called, trying to walk with her hands in front of her. She hit something and noticed that it was a pipe, with the point sharp as a knife. If she had walked one step ahead, she would have hurt herself.

"_Oh god" _An image came to her mind. An image of her and Helyse and all others stabbed, impaled by those pipes as bugs impaled by needles.

"_Please, no, not like this, no…"_

"Amelia, don't move!" She heard Helyse's voice. But how could they not move? The pipes were coming from all places, and if they just stood there, they would be stabbed anyway.

The mist started to dissolve, letting them see a bit of was going on. The pipes looked like spears now, the points broken diagonally, shinning in darkness, reflecting the fire. The floor also had some small sharp pieces. Amelia saw that under the floor there was a light that looked suspiciously like fire.

She had a bad feeling about it.

"_Impaled or burned alive and I wish I was awake, I don't want to die, please, it will hurt so much like this…"_

She tried to control herself, taking a long breathe and moving slowly, fearing that the pipes would move at her direction if she moved too much.

"I hate this place…" She whispered, looking around, trying to see where Helyse was. The girl was between three pipes and had some cuts, but otherwise seemed fine.

"Are you okay?" She walked to her friend, cursing herself for having slept without her shoes. Helyse just nodded and looked around, seeming nervous for the first time. But she wasn't looking directly at the pipes…

Following her eyes, Amelia saw what was making Helyse nervous: Between the broken ducts and walls there were small pieces of what looked like a spider's web. The threads were thick, sickly, and cutting. Helyse could not help but think that they didn't seem to be made by spider's springs, but of metal.

And, of course, she did not like the way things were heading.

"S-Spiders…" Amelia whispered, looking around in search of spiders. The girl hated bugs, but did her best to not be afraid. After all, in her dreams she had powers! Why would she be afraid of spiders when she was a telekinetic now?

However, she was afraid. Frightened.

"Amelia!" A voice sounded. Jessica appeared some steps away. The girl jumped like a cat in the pipes, so fast that she didn't hurt herself and managed not to fall or get stuck in the webs. She leaned gracefully next to the others girls with a smile of relief.

"Great jumps!" Amelia smiled to her friend, happy to see that Jessica was safe. Helyse was also relieved to see that the girl was okay, but it was still too early to feel happiness. Kurt, Jonathan and Mark were still missing and she had a strong feeling that they had made a dreadful mistake. Jessica was right when she had said that Helyse could sleep alone and they would wake her if she seemed to be in trouble. Also, the idea had been Helyse's! She had suggested it… If they had listened, they would not be in this suicidal trap!

She noticed that there seemed to be something lurking in the shadows…

Was that…?

"Someone there?" A voice called, and made them look around. Some feet away, on the other side of the room and half-hidden by shadows, there was a huge spider web with something –or someone- stuck on it, like a helpless bug. "Girls, are you there?"

"Oh, great…" Jessica whispered, and without a second thought, she started to jump again towards the web, telling herself to not scream, scared of the idea of any of her friends dying. All her mind was concentrated on, was in getting near that web as fast as she could.

Helyse and Amelia followed her, with some difficulty. Amelia was doing her best to get rid of some of the pipes with her power, but they were just so _heavy_. Helyse couldn't do much, only be careful to not get hurt, even though she didn't care if she scratched herself or not, she just wanted to be sure everyone was okay, and wake up.

However, she managed to follow Amelia without feeling hurt anywhere.

"_At least that!" _She thought sarcastically. Was it her impression or the air felt hotter than before?

She couldn't think about that now and tried to look at the web they had seen.

There was someone stuck in the threads all right, and it was Jonathan.

He was bleeding on his head, but it didn't seem to be serious. His wrists and ankles were cuffed in the strands, which were really made of a fine metal, and somehow were glued, like a true spider's web.

The girls could see it had cut his skin.

"Girls, are you alright?" He asked, with an attempt to smile that produced what seemed a nervous tick of a lunatic.

"Get real! You're the one in a metal web and you're asking US if WE'RE okay?" Jessica asked as if she didn't know if she should hug him or slap him. The three girls tried to release their friend, but the threads were cutting, and Jonathan was really trapped, just like a fly would be.

"What's the problem, Johnny-boy?" A voice asked, sardonically "You seem to be a bit stuck."

They all looked.

Near the roof, there stood Krueger.

However, the thing that was there barely resembled Krueger. Or anything remotely human.

It _was_ a spider.

Its skin had no fur and was burned. All eight of his legs were armed with metal claws. The creature had not the face of a spider, but Freddy's.

Amelia shrieked. Jonathan was pale, but Jessica was furious and Helyse just looked unsurprised.

"You're as funny as a yawn, know that?" Helyse asked coldly. Freddy looked surprised for a moment, either by her attitude or by what she had said. It seemed to be a long time since she had had that 'no-heart' attitude.

"Caring about your little friends? How cute." He mocked her. Helyse felt anger burning inside of her, and if she had anything in her hand, she would have thrown it right at Freddy's face just to try to shut his mouth.

"Leave him alone, Krueger!" Jessica screamed, which just made Freddy look at her and laugh as he came down, the ticking sound that his claws made against the metal were the sort of sound that would drive someone to insanity.

"This is not a movie, you stupid girl!" He came down and suddenly faster, started to attack the group. He either used his paws or spit out that metal web. It was really hard to run with those pipes in the way and to make it all worse, Freddy was not the size of a normal spider, but just a little bigger than a car.

Jessica tried to kick his face, but hurting a giant spider is not easy. Amelia used her powers to make some of the pipes hit Freddy, but it had no use either. He was just playing with them, making them scared. Like a cat playing with rats, or in that case, a spider playing with insects.

Jessica thought about how spiders feed of insects. How she had read that they sucked them dry.

"_I don't want to die like this… I won't die like this!"_

When he was about to hit Amelia, a light shined. Mark was in front of her, his saber of light shining in the darkness. His clothing was torn and he seemed to have been hurt while trying to make his way through the pipes.

But at least he was alive.

"Great, here comes the hero." Freddy said, in a tedious voice. He was starting to get bored; those idiots had to be kidding. Nancy Thompson and Kristen Parker had formed a far better group, or 'Dream Warriors', as they liked to call it. He felt his paw hurting and noticed that Mark had managed to cut a piece of it out.

"_Little bastard…" _He thought, spitting his web in the face of the boy, who screamed and dropped his weapon. Amelia pulled him right when Krueger tried to stab him with one of his paws.

"Seems that we have a problem…" Kurt whispered to Helyse, who almost jumped out of fright. She wondered if she would get used to Kurt's agility, but before she could ask him where the hell he had come from, she noticed that his legs were hurt. His pants were wet with blood from his knees down.

"Not easy to run here…"

Helyse just nodded and looked around at the disturbing scene. The others were fighting, and even hurting Freddy, but Helyse doubted that they could _really_ hurt him. Amelia was fighting to take the spider's web off of Mark's face. Jessica was fighting Krueger. Helyse had to say: She was strong. She was doing her best to stay close to him, so he could not hit her with his paws like he would if she was a bit further away.

"Stay safe, Hell." The boy told her and ran to help Jessica. Helyse just blinked. '_Stay safe? Give me a break, Kurt! There's no way of anyone can stay safe in this stupid place_!', she thought and immediately turned to the web, walking towards it and climbing the broken pipes until she was near Jonathan, who had tried to release himself, but all he achieved was getting even more trapped. Now, he had threads on his neck, too, and Helyse noticed some of the threads were getting red and wet with his blood.

"Helyse…" He whispered. The threads were pressing against his flesh and drops of blood started to appear. Helyse didn't know what she was doing, all she knew is that Jonathan was being hurt and she didn't want that to happen.

She held the strands and started to pull them, trying to rip them, and making sure she wouldn't just make them press into her friend's flesh. Jonathan noticed that soon her hands were bleeding, bleeding a lot, such was the strength with she was holding and pulling. The blood dripped more and more, but she seemed not to notice it.

"Your hands…" He tried to tell her, but she just turned to him with an angry expression.

"Stop wasting your breath!" She noticed that her legs were somehow getting stuck too, as if the web was alive. Helyse didn't care and just pulled the threads, pushing them to opposite sides. She had to rip it; Jonathan was already out of air!

Helyse heard a furious scream of pain and hate, and knew Freddy had been hurt, but she didn't turn around to see what was happening. She just hoped the others were winning. Jumping off the web, she had one idea. Obviously she couldn't rip the threads with her bare hands, but there was something that sure could… Quickly, she picked up the paw that Mark had cut off of Freddy and went back to the web as fast as she could… However her legs were numb somehow.

As if sensing danger, some threads flew towards her, whipping her and trying to catch her. Helyse was not afraid… She had spent a lot of time in this world; she was used to Freddy's game. She passed through the threads, not caring if some of them managed to attach themselves to her arms or legs, and went back to Jonathan to start using the paw as a little knife. The metal claw on the point was, indeed, the only thing that could cut the metal threads. Some of them seemed alive like angry snakes, (some of them were, truthfully, just trying to make her stop by grabbing her ankles and arms and pulling her) but the ones that she cut just fell off as if she had killed them.

That damned web _was_ alive.

The threads were alive.

For a moment, Helyse wondered if the threads were alive or if the web itself was alive and the threads were a part of it, as parts of a human being.

"_And how come I'm thinking about this _now_?"_

But something was wrong… Although some strands were holding her and others had slapped her, she was not sensing anything. Some threads that she had cut were in her hair and skin, she sure could feel the ones that she hadn't cut holding her and pulling… And she was okay. So, the question was: If she was okay… Why did it all seem so foggy? Why Jonathan was still trying to talk? Couldn't he see that he would just waste his breath doing that? Couldn't he wait until she had cut the web?

Suddenly, she was weak.

Weak and tired.

Helyse just made haste cutting the web, while a dreadful sound started to ring in the room with an echo that made the sound see, like one of the doors of Hell was being opened. Screams filled the air and she noticed that Jonathan was almost free and seemed worried about something… about _her_?

"Helyse! Helyse, _look at yourself_!"

She was falling through the floor, but the boy held her around the waist and caressed her face. Caressed? No… He was cleaning something. Something that was warm, wet, and shined red in his hand.

Blood? When she had started to bleed?

Then, it all made sense…

**XxX**

"Helyse!"

"Is she alright?"

"Helyse, are you listening?"

Again with those phrases? It was the second time someone had asked her if she was listening when she was waking up. It was starting to become a habit, it seemed. She looked to the rest of the group. Kurt was still holding a clock, which its alarm he had just turned off. He had cuts on his arms and legs. Mark had scratches on his face, and Amelia had a serious cut on her arm. Jessica had many bruises and a few scratches. As for Jonathan, he marks where the threads had been and dry blood on his skin. Some of his cuts were still bleeding, but they were nothing serious.

"Helyse, what were you thinking?" Helyse just looked at her hand. It had several cuts and it was bleeding with violence. Also, her clothes were wet with her blood, and she had a cut on her forehead. Now, awake, she could feel the pain, and there was a great deal of it. She could also feel the small pool of blood that had gathered where she was lying. Even so, she smiled.

"I've discovered my dream power…"

The others didn't seem to understand. She hadn't shown any special ability in the dream.

"What are you talking about?"

"My biggest dream is to be unable to feel _any_ pain."


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Kill or Die

**Chapter Seventeen- Kill or Die**

Helyse's wounds were painful, but there was no need for her to get stitches. And she thanked God for that… She could remember back when she was awake and saw the nurse giving her stitches on her arm. Honestly, she didn't like it. Deep inside, to tell the truth, Helyse never had liked hospitals.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to a hospital?" Jonathan asked, but she just nodded in silence. Back at his house, she had been firm in her decision to not go to some hospital no matter what. So had decided that she should, at least, let him and the others help her with the cuts. In the end, he had taken care of the wounds practically all by himself, and now, in his car, she could still feel the warmth of his hands as if he was still holding them, cleaning her wounds. It had felt so nice to have him taking care of her that Helyse didn't know how to react to _that_. Even if she was the kind of girl who would proudly say that she didn't need a guy to protect her, it felt nice to have someone taking care of her nevertheless.

His green eyes had rarely left her blue ones the whole time.

She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering how he had been so gentle while putting bandages over her wounds. It was not like being in hospital where the doctors were gentle because they knew the wound was painful. He had been taking care of her hands with the kind of gentleness that you receive because you are _liked_. But, rational as she was, Helyse didn't understand why he would be nice to her. Why would he like her? After all, she hadn't done anything. Okay, she had saved him from Krueger's web, but it was one thing to be grateful, to like her was another.

Jonathan was a mystery to her.

Helyse was much too rational to understand feelings. Sure, she had helped him in the dream, but was that reason enough to have him help her like that? She didn't think so. Actually, she would have understood better if he had just sent her to the hospital, but… But he had made her sit on the couch and had held her hands and even caressed them a bit while making a curative. The whole time, Helyse had just stared at him, unable to understand his actions.

He had muttered something about how he wished she hadn't been hurt. Helyse didn't know what to say, every logical answer had left her mind at that moment.

There was no part of her that was more human (and normal) than the rest. In real life, when something happens to us, it is very rare for a part of our heart, or mind, to survive and stay untouched and pure. You just have to take a look at people who have been in wars, kidnapped, or been a victim of some sort of violence: mental, physical or emotional, to have this fact proven to you. For that reason, there was almost nothing in her that was normal enough to make her remember that sometimes, people are just nice because… Well, because they just are.

It was also a matter of experience. Helyse never had anyone caring for her like that since many years ago, so, how could she remember that people can have a good heart and be gentle to each other without a reason? Of course, many people are not. Sad, but true. Humans are most inclined to care mostly about themselves than to care about each other. Even the beautiful love stories, in real life, are rare. Some of them are more like 'happily forever after... while we can take advantage of each other'. Love: pure, eternal and unselfish, was so rare these days that it was almost impossible to believe that it existed at all.

Love is not something that can be born all of sudden, it takes time. Nowadays, life is so hard, and there are so many things that can hurt people that humans need time to show their hearts to each other. It's easy to speak about love and to write beautiful stories about it, but in real life, love is harder to find because to love someone is to accept this someone as he or she is and be willing to give up some things for this person's sake and happiness. But, sadly, humans can be very, very selfish creatures.

Helyse held back a sigh and then, she felt that the car was stopping. That made her feel somewhat uneasy, but she didn't really know why… Or maybe she didn't want to think about it.

"Thank you… I mean", She lifted her hand. "You know, for helping with those cuts, and for the ride."

Damn, couldn't she say anything more? More what? She didn't know what she wanted to say to him or what she was supposed to say. Lately, she had been through several situations that she had never been through before (and never had dreamed about experiencing) and what she really hated about them was that she never knew how to act and, even if she wasn't going to admit it even to herself, she was a bit afraid of making a fool of herself.

Jonathan turned to her with a kind of sad smile that she couldn't understand, but liked immensely. He caressed her hair and sensed Helyse tensing a bit, which made him a little confused. But he thought that since she had spent weeks with Krueger hurting her every way he could, she probably wasn't very happy about people touching her since then.

He felt angered about it. A flame of fury seemed to burn inside him when he thought about Krueger harming her. Jonathan actually wondered if Krueger had raped Helyse, but he would never ask her, or at least not now… But if he had done it, if he had harmed the dark-blonde girl in such way, then he would pay.

"Don't thank me. You saved me tonight." She didn't know what to say to that either. True, she had saved him, but she had acted on instinct. It was not like she had seen him stuck in that web and decided '_Oh-god-I-have-to-save-him'. _She couldn't remember what she thought when it happened, she had just wanted to get him out of that damned spider web, nothing more. There was nothing heroic about it, and nothing for her to be proud of.

"You have to watch yourself, okay? You can't feel pain in your dreams, but watch out and try not to get too hurt to the point of… You know, dying." He looked deep in her eyes and she saw such worry in his that she couldn't help but ask.

"Why are you so concerned about me?" The question escaped from her lips before she could hold it in, her eyes full of confusion. Jonathan blinked, surprised about that. Sometimes Helyse seemed like she was made of ice, like back when they were dreaming together, but now she seemed so different… He tried to come up with some analogy or comparison that fit how she looked now, but couldn't. It also didn't feel like time to think about such things when Helyse was right in front of him.

He was still caressing her hair, and part of his hand touched her face. She didn't relax or lay her face on his hand, she just moved back a bit as if she were a scared animal, taking her face off of his hand. Even so, there was nothing cold about her when she moved, just warmth that he doubted she knew she had.

"Just take care, ok? I don't want to see you hurt." Again, she just nodded. For a mad moment, she wanted to tell him that Krueger was able to be in the Real World and that she could see him and that he was able to _hurt_ people if he wanted, but when she almost said something, she bit her lower lip. Why was it that she felt as if she could tell him? She couldn't, for some reason. She was afraid that Jonathan and the others would start to distrust her.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Before Helyse could even move, he kissed her face, very close to her lips. The girl tensed, but also felt as if her whole body was in flames, and that feeling had nothing to do with her usual tension about being touched too much. It was the first time, since she was a kid, that someone kissed her. Should she kiss him, too? Or just ignore it? She tried to ignore the warmth she felt inside, but to her surprise, she didn't want to. It felt good, so why push that away?

He looked at her, still playing with her hair, a smile on his mouth.

"Thanks for the ride, again…" She murmured, not knowing that she looked like a cute, shy child. Jonathan watched her step out of his car, and Helyse was still feeling something strange happening in her stomach. When she got to her door, she turned and lifted her hand in a goodbye-like wave. He waved back, seeming happy about something.

'_What is going on with me?' _She thought, not noticing that she was touching her face where the boy had kissed her. He had almost kissed her on the mouth! For the first time, she ignored the rational questions she would usually ask herself when someone acted in a way she couldn't understand. That sensation was way too good, and even if her heart was beating too fast, she didn't care, for it was not hurting her.

When she went inside of her house, she didn't see Freddy, and for a moment, she thought that he would still be in the Dream World, and therefore, she could have some time alone and have some peace. But no such luck, for he came from the kitchen just a second after she walked in. His claws were dripping with blood.

Helyse just looked at him.

"So, your cute new friends helped you?" He said, looking at her hands with disgust. "You are so sentimental that it makes me _sick_."

She didn't answer. Helyse knew Freddy well enough to see that he was angry, probably because he hadn't managed to kill anyone tonight. Helyse didn't want to get hurt, so she decided not to tease him. He was not in the mood.

It had been a while since she had seen him so angry.

"So, who helped you exactly? That Johnny-boy, I presume?"

Helyse was still looking at the blood drops on floor, actually hoping he wouldn't leave her house all dirty with blood every single night. But if he did, what could she do? She knew she couldn't stop him from killing, and she doubted he would be careful to not dirty her house just because she asked.

"Are you upset because you didn't kill anyone tonight?" At that moment, she knew she had asked the wrong thing. Freddy smiled and for a brief minute, she thought about how his smile was different from Jonathan's. It wasn't even a real smile, but a grin of an evil and hellish creature. She prayed that she hadn't angered him to the point where he would hit her. Sure he couldn't use his powers in the Real World, (or so she hoped) but she knew he was strong enough to leave bruises all over her body if he felt like it.

"Who said I didn't kill anyone, Helyse?" He stared at the girl and liked that she didn't really seem to care, but that she was now curious. It was annoying to see her helping those so called Dream Warriors when she didn't care about other people that were not herself, or, he could see in her eyes (and didn't like it) her new stupid friends.

"Who have you killed then?"

"Now, you'll know sometime. Why should I just tell you and spoil the surprise?" He asked as if she was a child. The girl didn't mind. She thought to just go upstairs, but she couldn't bring herself to move. It was as if Freddy was a predator and she was his prey, and any movement of hers could make him attack. The situation was sort of delicate, any jerk could tell.

But after years, it wasn't in her nature to just be prey… In some ways, she was a predator herself. Only, she had no idea of that, but Freddy knew. He had already noticed that there was something inside of her, as if a small animal was hiding inside of her blood. Hiding and waiting… For what it could be waiting for, he didn't know and didn't care. He was a man, but also a hunter and a killer, so he had some more animal instincts, and he knew that in some cases, the whithertos and whyfors had no importance at all. And in this case, what mattered was, whatever that thing that Helyse could have inside her, was there. Sometime, it would come out.

For both, it was a dangerous situation, but in some sinister and insane way, it was pleasant and exciting.

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" He asked, looking at her, and despise his polite tone, Helyse discovered that he was more than angry. Way more than just angry.

He was _furious_.

'_Oh, shit._'

Before she could move, he pushed her against the wall. Only when he was that close she'd remember how scary he could look like. She just looked back, trying to show that she wasn't afraid, even though she was. Freddy pressed his arm against the wall just above Helyse's head and held her throat with his other hand. She noticed that his hand was warm, but also was stained with blood. Not as much as he had in his claws, but enough to dirty her neck and let the girl feel some hot drops slide down her neck, between her neck and his hand.

"I wonder what your little friends would do if they knew that if you hadn't told me that Russo had gotten out of the car back in that dream, he would be alive." And it wasn't just that. She had made the pieces of glass appear on the floor back when Freddy was going to kill Tayra. Just that she didn't know it and, for now, Freddy had no reasons to tell her about that. He had a good idea of why that had happened and it wasn't a big mystery. It was actually more a matter of psychology than of dream powers.

Helyse didn't answer, she had no regrets for what she had done, but she knew what they would do. They would hate her. It was the natural thing to feel. But it was surprising to discover that she didn't want them to know, she didn't want them to hate her. Incredibly, Helyse knew, she was sure, that they would turn their backs to her once that this fight had ended, but it wasn't as if she didn't care anymore… She wanted to stay with them. To be friends with them.

'_So this is the problem with friendship,' _She thought sadly. '_When you have it, you're afraid of losing it.'_

Freddy leaned closer, whispering right at her ear. Helyse wasn't used to being so close to other people, but that was a thing that was starting was getting more and more frequent, _way_ to frequent for her liking.

"Doesn't it make you a murderer too?"

She just looked at him as if asking why he thought she cared.

"Maybe it does. Should I care?" And it was too obvious that she didn't care at all. It wasn't a lie. Helyse didn't have nightmares about Russo's death; she barely knew him and didn't miss him at all. If she was partly guilty for his death (and she believed she was) it wasn't something that bothered her at all, but the thought of her 'friends' (more Jonathan than anyone) hating her and leaving her alone was something that made her upset.

Freddy looked at Helyse, guessing what she was thinking. They were still too close. He was starting to get angrier and the reason didn't make any sense. He had expected her to yell, to say she wasn't a murderer, that she wasn't like him, but there she was just saying that she didn't care. '_Why can't that god forsaken girl act normal?' _Freddy couldn't understand why Helyse wouldn't act like a normal teenager. The worst part was that he wanted to understand why she was the way she was. He wanted her to tell him what had happened to her.

This was so not like him.

Why the hell should he care about her or whatever that could have happened to her?

"And you shouldn't care, either. You said yourself you'll kill me," Helyse couldn't stop herself. "It's kill or die, isn't it?"

It so wasn't so simple and both knew it.

When they looked at each other, they knew it wasn't like that. Not anymore.

They were _not_ friends, but they were _used_ to each other. Helyse discovered that she didn't mind if Krueger was around. Even if he had tortured her and hurt her, he was company anyway and she had to admit that he was an intelligent man. She was used to his very presence, to his very being. There were things about him that made she feel uncomfortable, and gave her a strange feeling, one that was neither good nor bad, but she was used to all that.

They had spent too much time together and even if they were still strangers to each other, she felt as if she knew him. Maybe because of the very time they had spent together. Surely it was getting easier and easier to talk with him, easier than to talk with anyone else.

Freddy felt the same. They were strangers, after all. What did they know of each other? Nothing. Sure, Helyse knew that he had been a killer when he was alive and that the parents of Springwood had killed him, but anyone could figure that out after a little research. Their relationship had no classification, for they were not friends, but they were not enemies. They should be once they were on opposite sides of the fight, but there wasn't hate between them. Not anymore.

If Helyse died, Freddy wouldn't know what he'd do. He was used to her presence. Even if he didn't like it, she was a part of his life. His victims, he would remember of their names and faces, but he never remembered them like _people_ with personality and life, nor did he want to. But Helyse, since the beginning, was different. She never had behaved like the others, she had been different from the start. Even if he liked it or not, she wasn't just a victim anymore. What she was, he didn't know. If she died, he would miss her. He didn't know if he would miss her for who she was or if he would miss her just because he was so used to her presence.

As for Helyse, the same was true for her. Freddy had been companionship after many years of loneliness. Even if he had used her, made her hurt, and scared to get more power, he was there with her in the boiler room and now he was with her in her house. He had broken a routine that she had for years and she couldn't say that she was angry with him for it. He was also part of her life now, and she thought seriously about what she would do if the Dream Warriors managed to win the fight.

They were too used to each other's presence now. Too used to let it go.

But it was kill or die. It was a fight and there was nothing they could do about it. The normal thing to do was to ignore that strange feeling, to fight against each other and to hate each other.

They couldn't hate each other anymore. There wasn't hate. They had no feelings for each other, but it didn't mean that one wanted to see the other dead.

'_This won't end well…' _

Freddy relaxed, lowering his hand, and slowly removing his hand off of her, almost in a caress, leaving marks of blood. For a moment, he looked at that marks of dark red blood, some drops had rolled down her neck, making it look like a red collar with red small ropes going down in the direction of her breasts. Some fresh drops were staining her clothes; others had stopped in the space between her neck and her breasts.

He never had thought about raping her (he was a killer, not a fucking rapist. Even Freddy had his honor), not even when he had threatened to do that to her. Not even now he thought about it, but he couldn't help but fancy her lying naked in a bed.

He just stared at Helyse and stepped back. Both of them tried to hide, but they felt as if their hearts (if both had them) were heavy and hurt. Somehow, those thoughts had made them sort of sad in a way that they couldn't explain, not even to themselves.

"Go to sleep." He muttered, softer than before. Helyse just stared at him with serenity.

"Will you kill me?" She whispered, her voice so low that one could barely hear her.

"No". He looked at her hands, at her wounded hands, covered with bandages. Sure some of those stupid teens had taken care of her, but somehow he knew it had been Jonathan. For a brief moment, he felt hate towards the boy, but because of a strange reason, because he felt like he wanted to be the one that had taken care of her.

Fuck, was he losing it? _Take care of her?_ Oh, please!

"You're hurt enough. I'll let you sleep in peace" As if remembering who he was, he added in a rash voice. "Just don't get used to it."

Like always, Helyse didn't seem to be bothered by his words or his tone.

"I won't."

When she passed by him, looking at the floor, she muttered something.

"Good night, Freddy…"

XxX

Sitting back in the boiler room, Freddy knew Helyse was awake, since he couldn't feel her presence. He just stared at the fire, listening to the ghostly cries of his previous victims.

What was happening to him?

XxX

Helyse was sitting in her bed. She couldn't sleep. That night had been too long for her. The nightmare, the strange feeling she had back when she was with Jonathan in his car when he had been so gentle, then that brief talk with Krueger.

The feelings were too different. With Jonathan it had been as if he had turned some light on inside of her. She felt so good when he had taken care of her, and almost happy to see that he cared.

Even so, she was used to Krueger's presence and couldn't say she wanted him to leave forever. It wasn't like when she was with Jonathan, but somehow, she felt different with him.

What was happening to her?

XxX

Even so… Both knew that all that was happening had only one way to end. It was a fight, a war, and it would always be like that. Nothing more.

It was to kill or die.

In the end, one of them would die.


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Eyes of a Sphinx

**Chapter Eighteen – Eyes of a Sphinx**

Freddy was _not_ expecting to see Helyse that night, not after he had _told_ her that she could sleep because he wouldn't invade her dreams, at least not for that night. The normal thing was for her to go to sleep and have some silly normal dream. Not to sleep and, somehow, _find her way to the boiler room_.

'_What the fuck is she doing here?'_

Helyse didn't seem too surprised to be there. And she was not; she had _wished_ to be there, although she hadn't expected it to work. Deep inside, the girl wondered (not for the first time) just how strong that 'connection' she had with Freddy was… She had truly considered that if it worked for Freddy to go to the Real World if he wished to, what would it help in case the Dream Warriors decided to use the method of bringing him to the Real World in order to make him human again and, therefore, mortal (just to crush any hope she had to use that method to get rid of him someday)?

But no. That was not right, because that wasn't the link's doing, was it? No… If you thought about it, it wasn't really because of the connection _itself_, it was because of Freddy's own power that just so happened to be increased by _Helyse's_ fear.

The link was made by fear alone; fear that he had forced _her_ to feel (not that it was hard to do). That was the true link between them.

'_Linked by fear…' _Helyse thought, not noticing or caring that Freddy was staring at her while she was lost in her own thoughts. '_How poetic does that sound?'_

The chain of fear (she could imagine it was a small, but strong and blood-red like chain connecting them) seemed to allow Helyse to find her way to the boiler room whenever she wanted to without needing Freddy to take her there. Truly, the girl wasn't sure if it was the link's doing, but she thought it had to be (and even if it wasn't, they wouldn't ever know. Who else would want go to the lion's burrow by _themselves _like she had just done?).

'_I ought to be put in a straightjacket', _She thought bitterly and mockingly '_Why did I even wish to be here, to begin with?' _

She had found this out by accident that night, when she had lied down wishing and thinking about the boiler room and now she was there, barefoot and wearing a light blue gown, her lion's fur colored hair loose over her shoulders.

Freddy stared at her in disbelief and in annoyance. What did Helyse want _now_? Or better yet, why was she even there? That place should be frightening for her and there she was, looking sort of confused and serious, but otherwise… not scared. Not scared at all.

'_Fucking bitch…' _He thought, angered by her lack of fear and her very presence. He didn't want to be near her tonight, that's why he had told her to sleep in peace, it had nothing to do with pity or caring, but because _he_ was the one who didn't want to look at her tonight, not even to kill her.

The dream demon also did his best to not wonder why he had told her this to begin with.

For a brief moment, they just stared at each other. Freddy was at his usual spot, sharpening the knives of his glove as he liked to do when the blood started to make the blades lose their edge. It seemed familiar to Helyse as she walked to the back of the boiler room, where she had been weeks ago due to her being in a coma. It had been some time ago, but Freddy felt as if it were yesterday when he first met her, and the feeling from Helyse's end was mutual.

'_And this was the place where we talked for a brief time before I took her to witness Russos's death…' _He thought, remembering.

Half illuminated by the fire, Helyse looked around in silence and noticed that nothing had changed. The boiler was still on and burning a strong, deadly fire that seemed to not share the same kind of warmth that flames would have in the 'Real World'. It was warm alright, but it 'felt' like a different kind of warmth… Very different from the one that people would associate with a lovely fireplace at home. Yet, she rather liked it.

Freddy didn't take his eyes off of her while she looked around, thinking about things he could only guess. The Dream Demon could see her blue eyes reflecting the glow of the fire, but the effect was disturbing due to the fact that her eyes seemed strange, as if they were not eyes, but pieces of glass that just reflected the fire and had no glow of their own, making her look as lifeless as a doll or something else that he couldn't truly think of right now.

'_But empty. They do look empty.' _And it was true. In that moment, she looked more like the Helyse Blake he knew. Her eyes were the dead, cold and empty eyes of someone who couldn't feel anything, not because they don't want to, but because they really can't. It wasn't a matter of choice. Her eyes seemed to hold nothing inside, making her appear as though she was drained of all feeling inside. As if someone had stolen her soul… Or something else from her.

If there _were_ emotions in those eyes, he couldn't define them. There seemed to be _something_ there, but what was it? For a few seconds, he tried to tell what she was thinking and feeling, and due to the play of light and shadow made by the fire's glow, her _expression_ appeared to change, but that was just an eye trick and Freddy knew it. Her expression wasn't changing at all. It was just like when you put a candle near a face carved in stone and get the impression that the face is moving when it was not.

'_And what to say of her eyes?',_ In a second, Freddy had the impression that he had seen something, but he couldn't say if that was a glimpse of deep, unbearable sadness or of cold and disdainful superiority. When she turned to him, he had to think that it could have actually been a glacial choleric.

There was no way to say it. He couldn't figure it out and although he knew part of it were the shadow's playing in her frown, part of it wasn't. He just couldn't place his finger on whatever lurked beneath those pieces of dead glass that Helyse had for eyes, but… Somehow…

'_A sphinx. She looks just like a sphinx' _He thought in realization while Helyse, still speechless, sat around and stared at Freddy as he worked, pretty much like a child who sits near her father and watches him working. The man couldn't help but remember that the heartless girl seemed to like that particular spot, for it was the very same spot where she had sat when she was in a coma to talk with him. He doubted that Helyse had noticed it, but she liked that spot. It was as if that were her favorite chair or something.

The Dream Demon didn't know what to do: The last thing he had said to her was that he wouldn't mess with her again that night and how he had actually killed someone, but he hadn't told her who his victim had been. Shouldn't Helyse breathe in relief and sleep in peace or stay awake, as anyone else would do? Any normal person that was dealing with him wouldn't believe in his words and she obviously had.

Freddy couldn't understand it and it was one of the things that infuriated him so much. Like a sphinx, Helyse seemed to be a riddle that no one would ever solve. And sitting there, just staring at him with her blue eyes reflecting a yellow shine from the flames, there was no doubt that those were eyes that resembled the ones of a sphinx.

Somehow, he felt annoyed with her and her silence. If he hadn't have _told _her he wouldn't hurt her, he would have tried to slash her throat.

'_But I am a man of word, am I not?' _

"Right, I can't say I was expecting you here." Freddy muttered, turning his attention back to his glove. "Or that I am happy to see you. So, what the fuck are you doing here?"

Helyse kept staring at the burned man before her for some time, answerless. What could she say? She didn't know _why_ she had wished to be there to begin with… But her life was so out of script lately that she wasn't _truly_ surprised that she had _wished_ such a thing. This place seemed to belong to a part of her life, of her _previous_ life when things were _on_ script and there was an understandable routine. Now everything was confusing… And Helyse didn't know how to act or how to adapt to this.

'_And what does that have to do with Freddy? It's not just the place and you know it, Freddy is also part of the picture_', she thought bitterly and shrugged her shoulders in silence, while she tried deep inside to find an answer to Freddy's question. Indeed, Freddy had become part of her life, but she couldn't say she liked it even if she was used to him... The thought made her remember a person who also had been part of her life and to whom she had grown used to, but had never truly liked. Back then, she had just accepted it.

The memory made Helyse feel as if her blood had turned to ice and her heart ached.

For some seconds, Helyse and Freddy kept themselves in silence, each one busy with their own thoughts and memories until the girl said, in a whisper.

"I don't know… I just went to bed thinking about being here and here I am."

Freddy turned to her with a sly smile. Helyse noticed that his knives had more blood than she remembered, so the fresh blood that she had seen dripping on her floor back home wasn't the blood of any of her friends… It just couldn't be. It was the blood of a victim who was probably now dead. Well, she would most likely learn the name of the person by morning and who cared who had been killed? She didn't. She was sure none of her friends had fallen asleep, not after that dream with Freddy in his spider form.

'_Who can blame them? That was gross, to say the least.' _

"Just thinking about being here? And may I know why? Shouldn't you be thinking about your little boyfriend?" Freddy couldn't help but ask in a mocking way while Helyse stared at him as if she hadn't thought about the possibility of dating Jonathan until now.

"He's not my boyfriend and you know it." Helyse answered in a cold tone. But wasn't this how fairy tales always end? The prince puts the crystal shoe on the dirty girl's feet and she becomes the princess she ought to be?

Was it not the dream of every girl?

Helyse wasn't sure of what to say now and she felt her face getting hotter. Part of her believed that Jonathan wouldn't ever even think about dating her. For crying out loud, he was a popular guy (the word came to her mind as if written in neon, shining bright and calling to her attention) and she was the furthest possible thing from that kind of 'group'. It all seemed very romantic in movies or novels when a popular or rich man would fall in love and marry the poor and ignored peasant girl. However, this was not a fairy tale. This was real life and the possibility of such a thing happening were, in her opinion, zero. The ones who stood above would never stare at the ones down below; they would keep their heads held high and just see the ones who were level with their eyes…

People would say that everyone was equal, that they cared about others and all that crap, but it was a lie. People were born full of prejudice and evil; the only thing that restrained that evilness were the laws and fear of going to jail or hell. Few were _really_ good-hearted (and those who were are the ones who would always suffer, how unfair was that?). Most of them would act as if they were good and caring when they were not. How fucking hypocritical was that?

And now Freddy was talking about a handsome, popular guy dating one who was always invisible or the sacrificial goat like her? That had to be the ultimate joke and she would have laughed if it wasn't kind of sad.

'_But Jonathan _did_ take care of me, didn't he?', _she thought, trying not to look at her hands (which she felt would annoy Freddy even more). Even if she would rather die before admitting it, it had felt good to have someone taking care of her…

Freddy noticed how the question had made her uncomfortable and didn't like it. Usually, she would just stare at him as if he were insane, not just make a simple statement such as "he is not my boyfriend" and then look to the floor in that shy way she was doing now. Since those morons had entered in her life, Helyse seemed to be changing bit by bit, as if she were remembering how it was to have feelings that were not fear or boredom. However, that wasn't what made him furious. If they were just messing with her 'non-existing' feelings, he wouldn't mind, but they all (especially that fucking boy) were messing too much with her heart for his liking. Freddy liked it more when she was that girl who didn't care if they would die or not just as long as _she_ would stay alive.

'_And why in the hell do I even care?' _He growled to himself, while sharpening one of his knives out of anger and fancying slitting Jonathan's throat with it. Helyse noticed it and decided to change the subject, even if she didn't know why. She could sense that Freddy did not like the way that conversation was heading, and honestly, she wasn't truly enjoying it herself. It gave her a strange, sad and awkward feeling in the stomach.

"So, are going to tell me who you killed tonight or am I going to have to wait to find out?" She asked in a lighter tone, as if this was nothing more than a game.

Freddy laughed as he examined his blades and turned to the girl with what one would call a sick and pleased smile.

"Now, now, where would the fun be if I told you? I don't want to spoil the surprise. You'll have to wait and find out by yourself." He sounded like a father refusing to tell to his daughter what kind of present he had bought her. Helyse seemed to understand that she wouldn't get anything from him so she just sighed, but didn't say anything more about it, which made Freddy remember another thing: a normal person would go on and on talking about how killing was wrong and bad until they got blue in the face (and by them he would have lost his patience), however, this girl hadn't ever even looked at him with disgust when the subject turned to the fact that he was a murderer.

"_I've grown too used to her presence for my own sake. I should just kill her now and be done with it!" _He thought, but decided to ask what he had been wondering for awhile now. Something that had been bothering even him.

"Why don't you complain about it? _What is wrong with you_?" Freddy asked a bit ruder than he intended to, although the girl paid no attention; she was already used to his lack of politeness. Turning to him with confused, but serene expression, Helyse just asked.

"What the hell are you talking about? Complain about _what_?" She actually thought he was talking about the blood that he had left on the floor of her home.

Freddy felt as if he was about to hit or shake her, as if she was a machine that was refusing to work properly. Helyse, while talking about some subjects, acted as if she were mentally ill.

"About me killing people, you stupid bitch! What else?!" He had to restrain himself to not ask the real question: Why couldn't she act _normal_? Actually, he couldn't blame the teens in her school that treated her like a weirdo because she _was_ a weirdo and that would sure get on one's nerves after a while.

Helyse didn't answer right away. Was Freddy trying to figure her out? What for? Helyse knew the Dream Demon well enough to see that he was angry, probably because he hadn't managed to kill anyone in her group tonight (she felt surprised when she noticed that she had thought of them as 'her group'). Helyse didn't want to get hurt so she decided to not tease him. He was not in the mood.

It had been a while since she had seen him like this.

"You mean… Why have I never complained about how you kill people? How I've never tried to talk you out of it?" She sounded like a child trying to confirm if she had understood her teacher's question in the class which made Freddy rolls his eyes. What _else_ would it be?

Helyse, on other hand, sighed with annoyance as if _Freddy_ was the stupid one and this time, she was _really_ annoyed. Wasn't that sort of obvious? She would have loved to not answer; she wasn't used (nor did she like) to talk about her own thoughts and opinions like this. It sort of bothered her.

"Would it work?" She asked, her expression changing to one full of sarcasm and disdain. In that moment, her eyes that would look like a calm (almost dead) sea, seemed like pools of dark ice in a lagoon in the winter, but her voice was a serene mutter. "Would it make you stop the slaughter? No, and I'm pretty sure you'd hate to have someone acting like that, telling you what you should do with your life, so why would I waste my time?" She thought for a moment, wondering if she should have said 'death'. But Freddy was dead and at the same time, he wasn't… Gosh, that was so confusing. He seemed to defy all the laws of existence.

"Would you feel better if I stopped?" He teased. Helyse turned to him, a strand of her hair falling over her face. With the light coming from her side and her staring at him in that way, she looked more than ever like what she truly was: a cold, heartless and even selfish girl who wouldn't care if someone died before her eyes.

"To be perfectly honest, I don't give a fucking damn about it. I would feel a lot better if you had left me alone, though…" She answered in a quiet voice and then looked at her feet, looking again like a shy child who had been caught saying something stupid in class. "But you wouldn't, even if I asked you to do it."

"No, I would not." He turned his attentions to his blades, wishing that Helyse would just go away. But at least one thing had been cleared up once and for all: She _truly_ didn't care if he was a killer. While Helyse cared for her 'friends', the rest of the world could die in a painful death and she wouldn't give a damn. And if Jonathan had not invited her to join the 'Dream Warriors', she still would not care for anyone but herself. Those teenagers were the first group of people who she cared about… And that was because she was no longer seeing them as her 'teammates', but as her friends.

Helyse noticed Freddy's posture and eyes and decided that was a perfect time to her to walk away. She had learnt about his body language by now and in that moment, it told her loud and clear that he was pissed off and would kill any living being that stuck around for too long.

'_He is so confusing sometimes… He acts bipolar_.' She thought and she stood up slowly and walked away not from the boiler room, but just from him. Silent as a ghost, she just walked around the place, recognizing some spots here and there such as the platform where she had sang while Tayra was killed. It brought up a strange, nostalgic and yet warm feeling.

Freddy was right though: She did not care. She didn't even try to. Why should she? It seemed pointless to try to feel sorry for someone she had never known. And hypocritical too.

However, she did care for her friends. She did care about Jonathan.

Slowly, Helyse started to mutter a melody that slowly turned into a song that echoed in the boiler room like the song of a ghost.

"_You're a part time lover and a full time friend  
The monkey on you're back is the latest trend  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you"_

Freddy could hear her voice and it was like hearing a ghost singing. Actually, that wasn't a bad comparison, was it? No. He could imagine Helyse walking around the boiler room with her light blue gown and singing to herself. The light color of her gown, skin and hair (few colors wouldn't be light in that darkness) plus the silence and darkness of the boiler room really made material for that.

Except for her eyes. Her sphinx-like eyes.

'_Just what in the fuck am I thinking about?'_

**XxX**

"_I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of a train  
I kiss you all starry eyed, my body's swinging from side to side  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you…"_

Helyse almost chuckled when she thought about Jonathan. Yes, the popular guy that many girls liked and guys wanted to be like him. Wasn't that sort of stupid? When someone is popular in high school, some people start to dress like him or her, use the same makeup and haircut, as if the Popular kids (she thought the word really deserved a big P) were celebrities.

'_Well, maybe they are. Yes… In a way, they are, aren't they?' _Indeed, but somehow it sounded… well, stupid. Even if she could understand when someone wanted to be someone else, the girl felt a bit ashamed. In reality, she wasn't in the position or had the right to judge anyone, but the way it was at her school… She couldn't help but to think that it was stupid!

'_And why the hell can't I forget about what happened?' _She thought, a bit saddened, remembering a time when she would have given away everything she had… Well, screw it. It doesn't matter. But lately, all that fear and all that was happening was bringing back memories that she would give an organ to forget.

_Here is the church and here is the steeple  
We sure are cute for two ugly people  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you_

But what Freddy had said about her dating Jonathan… Indeed, that was how the fairy tales, how the movies, would end… She remembered how warm she had felt inside when he kissed her face, when he had held her hands and helped her…

He had been truly gentle with her, he had been…

_Frightened a lot when he noticed the current state of her hands. They were pitiful and still bleeding when they had woken up. When she muttered that it was her Dream Power, Jonathan had barely heard because he was too worried about her to truly listen. _

_The others were also busy with other things…_

"_My leg! Fuck! This hurts!" She could hear someone crying, but she'd damned if she could tell who it was. Slowly, she tried to sit without using her hands to support the weight of her body. They hadn't hurt in the dream, however, now they did and it took all of her will power to not scream. _

"_Oh, shit… Oh SHIT" Another voice screamed, but it didn't seem to be a scream of pain._

"_Calm down, take it easy…" Jonathan said while he kneeled at her side and helped her to sit. He was also hurt; there were marks of web threads in his neck and wrists, but he seemed to have forgotten about it and one of his arms was around her shoulders._

_The pebbles forgive me, the trees forgive me  
So why can't, you forgive me?  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you_

"_Oh, hell! Oh God! Oh dear God!" She could recognize that it was Jessica. Her legs seemed to have been hurt and Helyse hadn't noticed in the dream. "_As if I could notice something in that moment_", she thought to herself, staring at her hands while she tried to hold back her tears of pain. Her heart ached as well, as though she had run miles and miles. _

_Kurt was holding his arm and muttering in pain, trying to stop bleeding. Helyse could see the blood dropping on the floor, in the shape of circles. _

"_Jonathan, we need help he… HOLY SHIT! What happened to her?" Mark had now come near to call for Jonathan's help and saw Helyse's hands. They were not pretty: the palms were a web of bloodied cuts and her skin was no longer white, but red and her clothes were full of blood. You could see that in some small, her skin seemed ready to fall off due to the cuts and there were also minor cuts on her arms. _

"_Oh, God… Please…" Jessica had sat down crying and Helyse saw her legs. Her pants had been partly torn apart and she could see that it looked like as if Freddy, in his spider-form, had tried to pierce her legs with one of his paws to pull it off her body. Despite being hurt, Kurt came closer to her, trying to say something to calm her down. _

_In spite of being more worried for herself, Helyse felt sorry for Jessica and wished she could do something for her. Amelia looked beaten, but not so much and was at Jessica's side, muttering something dumbly and looking like she didn't know what to do to help her friend. But for Heaven's sake, why did she feel sorry like this? It was illogical, if there was something she could do or could have done, then she would understand it, but there wasn't so it made no sense!_

"_There are some things in that grey box! I knew we would need it!" Jonathan answered more to Amelia, (who was the less hurt one) but the girl didn't move. "AMELIA! The grey box. On the table!"_

_As if the scream had awakened her definitely, Amelia muttered and ran to it, grabbing it and starting to pull tubes, gauzes, pomades and a little bottle of serum out of it. _

_Jonathan still held Helyse, as though he felt sorry for her. _

_I will find my nitch in your car  
With my mp3 DVD rumple-packed guitar  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you_

"_You knew we would need it…" She had muttered to Jonathan, who was asking for some of the things Amelia was taking out of the box. Now the girl was helping Jessica to clean her wounds while Mark was taking care of his own wounds and examining a wound that Amelia had in her shoulder. Although Amelia had muttered something about Helyse and Mark had asked Jonathan about his own state, Helyse couldn't remember what they had said._

"_Well, I…" He said to Helyse while he took her hand between his, taking care to not touch the wounds or at least trying to. She shook her head slowly._

"_No… That is good… You planned… You left that near us…" She couldn't finish the sentence, but Jonathan nodded. Yes, he had left that box close so, if someone had been seriously injured, the box of first aid would be as close as possible. The phone was also close, ready to call an ambulance. _

_That gave Helyse a strange feeling, not exactly warm, but she didn't know what it was. And as distracted as she was, she paid it no mind._

"_Thank god no one had serious injuries… I mean, not that it isn't hurting, of course…" He added, as if he was afraid he had offended her. It was sort of cute how he acted. The situation was a bit strange for both of them, but both were just doing what their instincts told them to do. Like Helyse, Jonathan didn't question his actions._

"_You're hurt too." She muttered and raised her other hand as though she wanted to touch his neck, but the pain stopped her. She could barely move her hands, it hurt too much. Jonathan noticed it and pulled her gently, helping her to stand. Due to the blood loss, he also made her lean on him. _

"_I'll be fine. C'mon…" He turned to the others "Can someone help me here with Hell?"_

_The others didn't answer. Jessica was too busy crying, but she muttered something about going to help after she was done. Amelia was in shock still and said nothing and Kurt was also busy. Mark, however, as slowly and seriously as Helyse had ever seen him, said:_

"_I'll be with you guys in a minute."_

_Jonathan took her to another room. Actually it wasn't another room separated by a door, it was just around the corner. He made Helyse sit in a small chair and kneeled before her, pushing her hands gently and staring at them with a sweet but strange expression. _

_Up up down down left right left right B A start  
Just because we use cheats doesn't mean we're not smart  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you  
_

_Before Helyse could say anything, he kissed those bloody palms and started to clean her wounds with a cotton wet in serum. In the same second, Helyse felt as if her face was burning. She had imagined he would just give her the things she needed, not actually take care of her wounds himself. _

"_H-Hey… I can do it… Go take care of your own…", but she couldn't continue when he lifted his face and stared into her eyes. For the first time, she noticed that he was really handsome and couldn't help but blush under the intense stare of his green eyes._

"_You saved me tonight. I could have died if you hadn't have pulled those threads."_

"_Maybe, but wasn't… Wasn't that… I mean… I just didn't think. And we can't be sure that you would be dead now or not."_

"_Doesn't change the fact..." He answered without looking at her. Deep inside, Jonathan had been surprised. He had grown used to the idea that Helyse Blake was a freak and that she had no feelings at all, no fear, no sadness, no happiness, nothing, but he had seen that he was wrong when he had seen her tonight; scared and worried about others and now she was trying to hide, but he could see she was on the edge of tears. It made him feel embarrassed about the things he had thought and said about her and now he wondered if Helyse never had cried at school when people bullied her not because she didn't care, but because she already cried as much as she could... _

_And who's to say that she doesn't cry when she's all alone? _

_He knew, in fact, nothing about her… And he was now sorry for the things he had said. She seemed to have feelings, but it was as if she 'felt' in a different way. _

_You are always trying to keep it real  
I'm in love with how you feel  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you_

'And isn't it like this for all people_?' He thought, embarrassed. '_Each person has his or her own opinion. It's the same thing, each person has his or her own way to feel and just because someone seems to feel and think different from the rest, it is no excuse to treat that person as… as…_' He couldn't find a word for it, but it didn't matter. The way some people treat others just because they are different is not only evil: it's obscene. And the thing that made it all worse was that people that kicked others in the hallways would find it extremely funny when those 'freaks' would fall. Even if they broke a tooth, they would laugh at them as if they were clowns and their pain was not real._

_Thinking about it, he felt as though he was dirty and didn't deserve to touch this rational girl at who he had laughed at, and yet she had helped him today._

_He wasn't a saint. He had said things about her and _to_ her, took his place in the crowd that would laugh when someone hit her in the arm and made her books fall and would do nothing when someone would stick his or her feet in front of her, making Helyse fall with her face first onto the solid floor, and wouldn't cry in her defense if someone kicked her head._

_All Jonathan had saw was a girl that was always looking to the floor, her face partly hidden by her hair. A girl who would never say a word in class, and that was disturbing due to the fact that she never _showed_ feelings. Now he could see that just because she didn't show them, didn't mean she didn't have them. _

_But it was hard to say 'I'm sorry'… Too hard._

_We both have shiny happy fits of rage  
You want more fans, I want more stage  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you  
_

"_Jonathan?" He heard her asking in a sweet, shy tone. He had finished putting some bandages around her hands and now he was just caressing her hands, feeling that they were cold and wishing her could warm her up._

"_Yes, Hell?" He looked at her, not sure if she liked the nickname that Jessica had given her, but the only reaction he got of her was a weak and somewhat sad smile. _

"_Thank you…" She muttered in a sweet tone, her voice no louder than a whisper._

_Neither of them noticed the whispers coming from the other room, or that neither Jessica nor Mark had come to talk to them like they said they would._

_Don Quixote was a steel driving man  
My name is Adam I'm your biggest fan  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you  
_

The way he had sort of hugged her while helping her sit… It had felt good, Helyse couldn't deny it. She had felt… Well, _protected_. But back then, she was in a state of mind that she wasn't truly thinking. All she could see was the blood; her hands covered with it… Although you could see the cuts very well, she hadn't paid attention to _them _specifically. The only thing she had seen was the blood on her hands. All that blood…

And there was also that connection with Freddy, which she hadn't told anyone about. Again, she imagined it as a chain around them both.

'_Sometimes it's like things around me don't want me to forget what happened that day…' _Had it been during the day or night? She didn't know. She would always try not to think about that. But there it was. First, Freddy had seen enough of 'that' to see the hateful room with those chains, now…

'_Fuck, stop thinking about it! It was years ago! Fucking years ago!', _she thought, angered with herself. She didn't want to remember it, not because it made her remember what she was, but because it was hurtful. Helyse had no regrets for what she had done and she would do it again if she needed to. It wasn't her actions that made that memory so hateful.

'_Yes… Keep it up. Why don't you go to Jonathan and tell him about it, and while you're at it, tell him how if you had kept your mouth shut, Russo would still be alive.' _But of course she would never do it. In both cases, she had no regrets. She had been partly guilty for Russo's murder, yes, but she didn't care. It had even been fun!

_Squinched up your face and did a dance  
You shook a little turd out of the bottom of your pants  
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else  
But you…_

Though, when she thought about Jonathan's expression if he ever found that out, it was surprisingly painful. She, who had never cared about what people thought of her, was now worried, and was afraid of that.

_But you…_

She was afraid to see disappointment and hate in Jonathan's eyes. Those warm eyes that made her feel as if there was no darkness… No darkness in the world, no darkness in the dreams and no darkness or sin in her soul.

Although there was. In both of them. And she had no regrets about either.

**XxX**

The morning granted Springwood with a cloudy, grey sky that announced that a storm would fall at any moment. And it matched with the mood of most of the gang.

Helyse wasn't surprised that Amelia had not come to school and that Jessica was wearing pants, when she used to wear shorts or a skirt. Some people in her class would ask Kurt where he had gotten the wound in his arm and Helyse knew he was telling some lie, but she didn't listen to what it was.

Needless to say, no one asked her why her hands were wrapped in bandages. That did not upset her. Actually, she didn't even notice that people would not even ask because she had other things calling to her attention.

What caught her attention was how some people seemed upset and there were rumors about a person who had died. Of course Helyse knew that Freddy had killed someone, but she still didn't know who it could have been and didn't feel like just asking someone. And after last night, Helyse didn't feel like asking _Kurt_ about it.

Could it have been Amanda? It made sense. Freddy would hurt Kurt doing it. When she thought about it, she discovered that it didn't hurt _her_. Fine, she had saved Amanda back in that dream, but she had no feelings towards the little girl as a person.

'_She is just a child. That's why I helped her. Because I was there and I _could_ do something.' _It was really simple. If Amanda was older, Helyse would never help her. She was just a child, nothing more. And plus, Helyse was around when Amanda was in need of help, so she had helped. If she had been killed _now_, she wouldn't mind it for there was nothing she could do or could have done about it.

'_But if Amanda had died, Kurt wouldn't have come to school today, right?' _Well, even if he had, he would be looking even worse than he was looking now. '_By the way Helyse, have you looked at a mirror, lately?'_

She learned the name of the victim by the end of lunch time. As Helyse would normally do, she had brought her lunch from home, but this time she had not gone to the grandstand of the fields to eat, but had come to sit with the others. Jessica looked rather bad; her eyes were red as though she had cried for hours and she wasn't even wearing her make-up. Helyse was nowhere close to the girl, but she had never ever seen her in such distress.

"Jessica?" She asked slowly. The girl looked at her dumbly and said nothing, although something seemed to sparkle in her eyes. At Helyse's side, Kurt muttered.

"Evelyn Sanderson died…" Helyse blinked twice. From the back of her mind came a loud laughter and words that seemed to make an echo.

"_So, anyone notice you're alive today?"_

A girl with black hair stepping over her hand…

"_Why can't you just die, Blake?"_

Yes, she knew Evelyn Sanderson. She was the one who had stepped on her hand when she had come back to school after being in a coma. Evelyn had been one of the people who would rather torment Helyse than just ignore her, and that scene between them wasn't, by far, the worst.

And now, Evelyn was dead. Helyse couldn't help but feel somewhat pleased about it. Good riddance to that bitch. She felt really grateful towards Krueger, even though she was sure he hadn't done it because of or for her, but she would thank him as soon as she found him anyway. One less pebble in her shoe.

"S-She didn't deserve it!" Jessica sobbed. Helyse soon remembered that Evelyn and Jessica were friends. No wonder she was so sad. "She was so… so kind! She was a good friend!"

Helyse would have loved to debate whether Evelyn was a kind person or not, but decided to keep quiet, even if in her mind she could remember the day Evelyn had asked her if her mother had died of despair because her daughter was such a freak of nature or if she had run away so she didn't have to raise her.

"Well…" She started, but stopped. She didn't know what to say to comfort Jessica; she would need to be sorry about Evelyn and she was not. In Helyse's point of view, Evelyn was a burden and she was actually glad that she was a goner. She even wanted to know details about how Freddy had killed her and was truly sorry that she had not been present at the killing.

Jessica looked at Helyse, breathing rapidly like a horse and her mouth closing until her lips were a straight line.

"Look here, what the…" She seemed lost in words and then looked to Kurt angered. "Kurt!"

Helyse didn't understand what Jessica meant by it. Kurt looked a bit upset about whatever it was and Jonathan suddenly seemed angered.

"Jessica, not it again…"

"It what?" Helyse asked, truly confused about what was going on. Jessica turned to her and Helyse saw she was on the edge of tears. Well, her friend was dead, so no surprise, but why did she seem angry with _her_? What had _she_ done?

Jessica took a long breath as if to restrain herself from screaming and talking as if she were talking with a very little child.

"Look… Blake… Could you please not sit with us?" Her tone of voice was exactly the one of an adult asking a child to not get into an adult's conversation, a tone of voice that she was sure Jessica thought was sweet, but Helyse could feel what was behind that.

Helyse didn't answer. She should have known. Obviously. Who was she kidding? Hadn't she just remembered that Jessica was Evelyn's friend?

And why did it even hurt? How could something that was not a surprise, something that she knew would come sooner or later, could hurt as if it were unexpected? Helyse felt her heart aching and did her best to control it and ignore the pain, shoving her feelings away. The pain did not go away but it was lessened...

"Jessica, just because you're upset…" Jonathan started, but Jessica paid him no mind.

"It's not that I don't want you on the team. Is just that I would like it if you didn't eat with us. You know, my friends were asking me about it and… well, it's better if you don't hang with us, at least not at school…"

'_Isn't it better to say that you don't want to be seen with someone who is not popular?', _Helyse thought. '_Here you go, Freddy. Were you not just saying something about me dating Jonathan? You should hear Jessica, she could teach you a thing or two.'_

"Jessica!" Jonathan called her, angered. "Stop it! You're just being-"

"Being what? It's not just it!" She turned from Jonathan to Helyse and dropped that sweetened tone of voice. Her eyes burned with anger and sorrow and her voice was cold, distressed and also rancorous. "Fuck! And there's more! Why did Tayra and Gabriel have to die, but this fucking freak is here, alive? Evelyn was a good, nice girl and so was Tayra! Gabriel… He was…" Jessica sobbed and seemed to be so furious now that it was hard for her to just talk and start crying.

Helyse wanted to stand up and go away, but she found herself glued to the chair. Some people were looking at them now, but gladly, Jessica was not screaming, just whispering. Yet, her tears and her expression were enough to call attention to them.

"Fuck! Why didn't _you_ die? Gabriel _deserved_ to be alive! Why wasn't it you? It should have been you!"

Helyse finally found her strength to stand up, and so she walked out the cafeteria in silence. She could hear people whispering and could feel angered eyes weighing her down as if they were made of iron. She could hear Jessica saying something to Jonathan and to the others.

"Don't give me that! Tayra and Gabriel are dead, Evelyn is dead, yet she is not! Why is that? Why Evelyn, of who the bitch didn't like, have to die? Why not her?"

The cafeteria was close to the field, where Helyse walked noticing the clouds in the sky. The storm was getting closer and would fall soon… Good. She liked the rain, she really did.

Well, she was not surprised about anything that had happened. The girl knew it would happen sooner or later. She did, but Helyse had expected it to happen later, after they had defeated Krueger (and if they were still alive by then), not while they were… well, teammates.

The rain started to fall. Instated of running for cover, Helyse stood there, letting the rain fall over her, feeling every drop on her skin and hair and not caring if she still had classes and would have to go to them soaking wet. The pleasure was worth it… She could remember a time when she would give anything to feel the rain… It seemed to wash all over her, cleaning her.

"_Don't think about it…" _She whispered to herself and tried to shove away the memories of years ago and moments ago, trying to focus only on the rain, on every drop of it and how good it was to feel it against her skin, how good it smelled… So clean and pure…

Helyse heard someone and turned, a part of her (a small part) hoping that it was Krueger, but it wasn't him.

"Hey, Helyse!"

It was Jonathan. Maybe he had come to tell her that she was still in the team and all that crap? Probably. Or maybe not, after all, she didn't think the power she had showed was a big help in anyway.

"Yes?" The girl asked, wanting him to just say what he wanted to say and get lost. Right now, Helyse wanted to be alone and not remember how silly she had been to even consider that she could be friends with all of them. Just as she had thought last night, they were not on the same social level, at least not in the school hierarchy.

"Look, Jessica is… She is rather sad… So don't take her words seriously and…" He couldn't say anything. He had run after her, worried and angered that Jessica had said such things and now he didn't know what to say or how to comfort the girl in front of him that was just staring at him patiently, as if just waiting for him to say whatever he wanted.

At that moment, with her dark blue eyes staring at him and the rain falling over her, he found her beautiful.

"Why should I be upset? All that she said is no more than the truth…" Helyse said slowly and although her voice carried no sadness, Jonathan felt such pity for the girl that it hurt. There was more than pity, there was a strong will to be there for her and to listen to her.

"_Please, don't…" _he thought to himself... But "please, don't" what? What was bothering him about that vision?

"Helyse, that was not…" He tried, but Helyse interrupted him.

"What? It was." She gave him a smile, so sweet that he couldn't understand it. "Gabriel was her boyfriend. It's more than natural for her to wish that I was dead and he was alive."

And although it made sense, Jonathan thought it was not natural. Although Helyse was not crying, he knew it had hurt her at least at some level. And while some people were comforting Jessica, people who didn't know anything about Krueger, there was no one there comforting Helyse.

'_Please, stop looking like this.'_

"So, I have no reason to care about it." And yet she cared. Any jerk could see that. She had thought that they could be friends and now she was seeing that she was wrong.

Staring at her, Jonathan could see how her eyes were beautiful. She was not the prettiest thing in the world (although her body sure was nice), but everyone has a gorgeous trait, and in Helyse, hers was her eyes.

'_Eyes of a sphinx… Just like the eyes of a sphinx…' _He noticed when he realized he couldn't read those eyes very well. There were emotions he couldn't make up and something else, as if she were holding in a riddle or a great secret that she wouldn't share with anyone.

But Jonathan couldn't help looking at Helyse. She looked so beautiful and yet so alone that he couldn't stop but remember every time he had witnessed, made or took part in some cruel joke made towards her (or any other of the "freaks") and how he had never stopped to wonder if he was hurting her or not. It was all very funny and enjoyable, and even when people would talk about bullying, he would agree that it was an evil and bad thing, and wouldn't stop the mockery because…

Because of what? Because it was so fucking fun? Because he had never considered he could be hurting her or any of the others he would laugh at? Because he had never noticed that she would always eat alone, would never be invited to parties and always had to do assignments all by herself and never had stop to think that she had no parents and, therefore, no one to whom she could tell her problems to at home? Because he had never stopped to think, not even for a moment, if she had ever cried at home, alone?

Yes. Maybe because of all that.

Helyse kept staring at him, her face not giving away a trace of emotion, her sphinx-like eyes as disturbing as ever. Like a riddle he would never figure out, she just stood there as if just waiting for him to go.

Instead, Jonathan walked towards her and hugged her. He could feel her having a spasm within his embrace as if she expected anything less than that (and she did). He could feel that she was shivering, but couldn't tell if it was because of the cold or something else.

"Jonathan?" She asked, suddenly a lot shyer than before and looked at him as if she couldn't understand him. "Get off. You're getting soaked…"

"So are you…" He answered in a whisper, surprised at how mature his own voice sounded. Helyse tried to break free, but he wouldn't let her. He felt as if he couldn't, as if he'd let her go and she would just disappear like a strange dream or illusion. Helyse was still looking at him, confused and even… scared?

Very slowly, as if she were a wild little animal that he didn't want to scare away, he leaned down and kissed her.

* * *

**Song used: **_"Anyone Else but You" _by the Moldy Peaches. Requested by Morgan-eats-cannibals.


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Burning Nightmare

**Chapter Nineteen – Burning Nightmare**

Although Helyse couldn't care less with the fact that Evelyn Sanderson had been killed, the news had done more than disturb her friends. Nala Jensen and Adriana Lecter, the redheaded and brown-haired girls who used to hang out with Evelyn, had been seen with their eyes red of crying, very quiet and inconsolable. Adriana seemed to be in a serious shock's state and had been taken to the infirmary after an unstoppable access of crying (at least, it was the rumor it had been whispered in Helyse's classroom).

Some teachers had warned about the possibility of a killer at large and, after asking for a minute of silence for Evelyn's soul, warned the students to be careful, to not wander around alone in deserted places, to not go out when it was late of night… The same old things they would always say.

Helyse would have considered all that even _pleasurable _and, somehow, even funny, if she wasn't in shock herself. Not because she had realized how she felt… Well, not exactly _happy, _but _enjoyable satisfied _and inclined to thanks Krueger for killing the girl (even if she knew he hadn't done it for please her), that hadn't surprise or affected her.

Her shock had been due that she had been kissed by Jonathan.

It wasn't as if that was the first time she had been kissed (though it had been the first time in a long time), but somehow it _had been _the first time. And for her, it didn't make any sense. Her mind couldn't comprehend why the boy had acted in such way. Helyse hadn't even reacted right away, had been just static, tense, not liking much of being touched (however, a minimum portion of her had registered how good was the warmth of his body) and at first, had tried to get free, and after, had just waited. In the very moment he had separated from her, Helyse had managed to break free from his hug and had run away as a deer would from a tiger. She hadn't paid any attention to classes during the rest of the day and ignored the mocking that, due to the fear and mourning of most, had been little and even when Nala and Adriana, sobbing and miserable, had threw some venomous words at her as she walked to the classroom, Helyse didn't quite listen.

Rational as she was, the young woman couldn't believe that Jonathan had kissed her out of _love_. That was even stupid. They didn't even know each other and even so, she couldn't deny how good she had felt with the caress and there was a small wish that, whatever feeling had made him kiss her, had been at least _genuine… _Perhaps he had done it for pity or just to console her after what Jessica had said, but it was better than to having him doing it for some reason of more _physical _origins, which were, to her, the most empty ones.

He didn't love her, she was sure of it. He didn't know her.

Right?

"_Not that I should be thinking about it now…" _She thought as she picked up a cardboard box with packages of juice and putting it in the proper shelf of the stock. "_Should I ask him why he did it?" _Thinking again, she thought that perhaps she shouldn't do it, even if she wanted to. Helyse didn't like to feel so confused and would rather like if he told her his reasons. It could be something not that important for Jonathan, but to Helyse it had been so unexpected that was on the edge of the surreal.

And she _had liked it. _

She peeked through the curtain of plastic large strips to see the clients. The snack bar sometimes had for clients some of the school's students and what she didn't need was to have to take orders from a group of Evelyn's friends, especially if Nala was with them. As for Adriana, she didn't have to worry anyway, she had spotted the girl walking in the hallway with her backpack and being escorted by a teacher. Probably had gone home earlier due to her hysteria and if Nala was that sad, Helyse didn't think she would be eager to eat out. Nala was another story. For what Helyse knew of her, she was the sort of person who wouldn't hesitate in take her feelings out on others just to feel better.

Helyse noticed there were some students, but few and most of them she just knew by sight. Better like this.

And no sign of Freddy. He hadn't appeared the whole day. Helyse ended up wonderinf if she had done something, at this point he would already came to annoy her a little. Had she done something last night?

"_Sure I did. I survived. No one of the group died last night and this is what must have made him furious. He hates us."_

"Blake, stop standing there like a fucking catatonic" The manager muttered upon seeing her there. Helyse sighed and went to the balcony to pick a small note book about the stock. She didn't really want to think about anything this night and certainly she didn't want to deal with any of the recent situations… Even if she caught herself wondering how Freddy had killed Evelyn. Would he tell her if she asked?

She choose to ignore the morbid curiosity (and somehow delightful) she felt with the possibility. When she saw him again, she would at least ask him to tell her.

Turning back, she found herself face to face with Mark, Jessica, Amelia and Jonathan. For the first time, Helyse noticed how the group didn't look so well. It wasn't just Evelyn's death, she noticed. Jessica still had her eyes red and was pallid, but smiled gently to her thought the corner of her lips shivered as if it had a nervous tick. Mark looked awful, had black bags under his eyes and Helyse noticed how Amelia had cigarette marks on her wrist. Even Jonathan looked in bad shape… She found his skin had a sickish tone of pallid. And was it her impression or he looked quite thinner?

"_I didn't notice anything today… And that's because I'm not having problems, I don't need to keep myself awake every night, so I have no idea of that they are passing through" _After all, she had slept wonderfully last night… Opting for acting as if today's happenings had not happened, she suddenly felt as if she was stepping in a minefield…. No, not mines, but poisonous snakes.

"Hi, Hell"

"Hello… Where's Kurt?"

"He went home. Amanda is frightened with everything and he wanted to stay with her." Amelia answered. "He bought a lot of coffee, I hope he will be fine…" The wrist with burns, Helyse noticed, didn't stop shivering. She noticed and tried to express more pity than she was able to feel, but when she remembered of Amelia trying to help her in the last nightmare, how she had came searching for her and worried if Freddy had hurt her, how she had been so gentle up until now (without reasons for doing so)… Thinking about that, Helyse's feeling changed from a forced pity to a painful and genuine compassion and she felt ashamed of her thoughts of how whatever happened to Amelia wasn't her problem.

"Did… Did this hurt a lot?" She didn't need to ask what.

"Yes… A lot… But it was worth is, right? What is a burnt compared to sleeping? It was worth it. Ya know, I thought that if I didn't take painkillers last night, the wounds would keep me awake… Ya know… But I was wrong, see? So, when I was almost… Well, I picked a cigarette and… Ya know. You can see." She giggled nervously, but her voice slowly turned into a more serious and controlled tune. "And… About all that… We need to discuss something, something huh… Serious…"

Helyse faced the group in silence, avoiding deliberately Jonathan's eyes and letting her hands hid (she had changed the bandages before coming to work, but for some reason, she didn't want him to see). She wasn't up to talking now, especially if the subject seemed to be those nightmares. She was already _weary_ of that story and she would rather ignore everything, even if it was just for a day.

"I'm in the middle of work and…"

"Speaking of it, look, we want coffee…" Mark inclined himself over the balcony, in a way that made him look drunk. "Here between us, do you think there is a way to make it stronger than usual?" Helyse didn't know what to say and seeing her hesitation, he carried on as if the girl had made a question. "I've been searching some medicine to keep people awake, but coffee can still help a little."

"Okay… Something especial?" Feeling relief in having an excuse to walk away and not having to look at Jonathan, she took their orders (just coffee and some few cookies) but it wasn't really enough. They just changed seats to stay near the coffee's machine and took advantage of the little distance between them and that no one was around to listen to their conversation. Helyse didn't like it at all.

"Thanks for understanding, you know, today at lunch." Jessica commented with a sweet and soft voice. "You know how it is, right, Hell?"

Helyse didn't answer, letting Jessica keep that unstoppable babbling on how she had been gentle in understanding, how they didn't want to act in a strange way or made anyone suspicious that something was wrong… Helyse let her go on and actually, she wasn't listening to a word of it.

"_Oh, please, do me a favor…" _The girl answered in thoughts and even in her mind, her voice was inexpressive. "_Be _sincere, _is that asking too much? What you do not want is to be seen with me because you want to keep you popular status and you don't have how to explain to your other friends why sudden I am hanging around with you, stop being hypocrite" _But she said nothing. To Helyse, people were like this, always masking the feelings they considered "ugly" and made up excuses to themselves and to others. That could be seen as politeness by some, but Helyse saw it as pure falsity. It would be best if people just went straight and told others when they didn't like someone than keep making excuses and fooling. Some went through their wholes lives believing they are friends with someone else when they are being used and fooled… If most people never committed any crimes for the solemn fear of the punishment (divine or human) and not for respect and love for others, was there something like sincerity or goodness in this world? Maybe not… Helyse wondered, that was so-human nature… You didn't see animals raping, killing for greed or envy or evil… That just happened with the so-superior human being…

"_Superior? We? I don't think so… We kill own children sometimes…"_

History confirmed that. You just had to look… Gacy, Dahmer, Bundy, De Rais, Lopez, Cianciulli¹… People were just great to find ways to hurt and torture each other, it was like a gift.

See Freddy. Thinking about him almost made Helyse laugh. It was ironic, but Jessica (who, in the situation could be said to be someone of the "good guys") was there, telling lies (to Helyse, to herself, to the others, it didn't matter) and however, Freddy wouldn't lie like this, never. He was a murdered and evil, but he was honest and didn't lie about himself… People always knew where they were stepping with him…

"Helyse, are you okay?" The preoccupied voice of Jonathan brought her back to reality. It wasn't the time to philosophy and the girl turned in silence with the coffee's cups in a small red tray. She tried to control herself when she noticed she was shivering.

"Sorry, I was distracted…" Her voice sounded dryer than she had intended, but she didn't care much.

"Trouble with sleeping, right? You and us all. It is about that we need to talk about." Jessica inclined forwards again, muttering. "We can't go on like this. Coffee is almost not helping anymore. Yesterday, I took some pills, an energetic, I took five I guess…"

"Five? Hey, those things are not mint candy, you know!" Jonathan commented, with the same nervousness that Helyse should feel upon hearing it. "I can understand that, but…"

"They are medicine for a reason, Jay… Isn't it bad to take five at once like this?" Then Amelia laughed again, that strange and nervous sound with a smile that looked more like a grimace of pain. "Although between the pills and cigarette burns, I'd stick with the pills."

"I know, I know, but I had no choice." Jessica sighed and ran her hand through her messy hair. "And I almost fell asleep anyway, I was so tired and my body ached so much and…"

"Look, I was wondering… My mother is veterinarian. Perhaps we could get… You know, she had a thing that is like… Adrenaline, I guess, something like that. For animals." Mark muttered as he used a small spoon to move his coffee.

"Think that may help?" Jessica seemed hopeful out of blue. A bit too much, even.

Helyse for a moment thought she hadn't heard it well. Mark was talking about something he wasn't even sure what it was and, above all, that was used by veterinarians and he wanted to inject that in _himself_? Though she knew nothing of medicine, Helyse didn't think that was a good idea. Even if she wanted to keep herself quiet and not mind it, she couldn't.

"Mark, you said your mother is _veterinarian_…" She whispered, serious. "This thing is used for animals… You don't know if it is…"

Mark turned to her with an angry expression. Helyse realized his eyes were red and not due crying.

"Damn, if you have a better idea, then tell us, okay, damn?" He picked something in his pocked, a little glass bottle which transparent contained he put in his cup (Helyse felt a familiar scent), mixed it and drank in few gulps. Amelia turned to Helyse as Jonathan watched her in silence.

"I don't think we have much of a choice…"

Helyse stayed in silence, as thought she had accepted the idea (if they wanted to inject that thing in themselves, they could go for it, but not count with her), but Amelia wasn't finished. She seemed to have come to the part of the talking that couldn't be avoided anymore, no mattering how unpleasant it was.

"Hell… I don't know how to say this… I know it can't be easy for you, but could you tell us a bit about your time in coma? You saw that demon acting, maybe knowing about him can help…"

Helyse frowned, what the other interpreted as a signal that she was still too traumatized to talk about it. The others just stared at them.

"It is important, I know it isn't easy, it can't be… But it may help us to get rid of him. You'd like it, right? And you, out of all of us, had more experience…"

"Yeah, how _did_ _you_ survive? He… Did he ask you something in exchange of your life?" Mark insisted, putting his cup down almost brutally. Helyse noticed her suspicions had been corrected and whatever liquid Mark had mixed with coffee had been some kind of alcoholic drink and even if hadn't been much, apparently, Mark wasn't strong to drink. That if he had drank before coming here.

Jonathan stared at his friend with angry eyes, but Helyse didn't see it. Her whole body felt cold and she felt a strange annoyance. First Jessica, now Mark… For some reason, their words had more power to upset and touch her more than the words of other people like Nala. She tried to stop, almost in a desperately way, the strong feeling that was taking over her body and starting to make her feel ill aching all over her body (pains that nothing had of emotional), but it was like trying to stop the current of a powerful and savage river. She shivered and, with a calmness that she did not feel, she lifted her arm, showing the white scar that went from her wrist to her elbow.

"_This _is what happened and I survived only because he wanted to use my fear, not my body. Do you want more details of what he did? Sleep and you'll know." Not even waiting (or wanting) an answer, she turned and went back to the stock with firm steps, though her legs felt weak. In that moment, she thanked how she was usually in charge of taking care of the stock and products, since she had not "_way to deal with clients and lacked charisma" _as the manager had put. Helyse never complained, since she got her payment and actually, the less she had to "deal" with people, the best.

More than never, she agreed with such idea.

Helyse wasn't sure why she was bothered, but somehow Mark had upset her with the suspicion that she had had sex with Freddy in exchange of his mercy, even if it was a possibility perfectly likely, but even so… Sure, Freddy had hurt her, however he had never even gave a signal of thinking about violating her and, except for the nightmare she had had (days ago? It felt like years) at Jonathan's house, Freddy had never_, ever, _touched her. Even he had (she guessed, at least) a certain sense of honor and that dream when he had threatened her, after some time Helyse understood, had been just a threat that wouldn't come to be, one he wouldn't concretize. Maybe it was the time she had spent with him, maybe it was that strange relationship that couldn't be classified in any way she knew it, Helyse just knew that he would never hurt her in such way. For as weird as it could be, when it came down to this sort of subject, she trusted him.

"_And all this gibberish means nothing and sounds like a Stockholm Syndrome. I should just intern myself at once, is obvious there wasn't any progress since I…"_

She hit a shelf with some boxes, wishing to wreak her distress. She felt awful, hurt in all senses, confused and would have screamed, if she could. It was the first time she felt so hit in such a long time… Her heart beat faster and all her body quivered as if she was having a seizure… She tried to cough when felt her throat closed and an air tasting like vomit and blood came up to her mouth.

"I don't know what the boxes did against you." Someone commented behind her and she turned.

It was Jonathan. He had simply followed her there. In spite of seeming tired, he gave her a smile, a somewhat sad one, but it was a smile nevertheless.

Helyse decided to be quiet. In that moment, she felt like a crystal-made object trying to contain an infernal fire.

"Are your hands better?" He came closer, holding one of her hands and examining them in an insecure way. Helyse kept her silence, now it was her who looked at him and with such lack of feeling (less in her eyes, which reflected an awful mix of opposite feelings) and this seemed to disturb the boy.

"Hell, did I do something you didn't like? Was it because I kissed you?" The girl was about to release herself and tell him that this place was for staff only and to him to go away, but decided to take this opportunity. Isolating her feelings as best as she could (This time, it took all of her self-control) and taking her abnormal (and loved in that moment) lack of feelings, she asked.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Whatever Jonathan had expected to hear, it wasn't that.

"Why did you kiss me?" Helyse was inexpressive, but his touch was enjoyable and that proximity was so that she could almost feel his warmth as in waves. Still a bit confused, Jonathan came closer.

"I care about you… I kissed you because I wanted to, not for pity" It wasn't a lie. Back in that moment, under the rain, alone, Helyse had looked abandoned, but it hadn't been that depreciative feeling of pity that had moved him to hold her, but the perception that she wasn't anything like what they said she was. What he had seen wasn't an insensitive creature, strange and even repulsive, he had saw just a girl. Under the rain, she looked beautiful for the first time and he had been taken for a strong desire of hold her and take care of her.

Now, in that proximity, this desire came back with full strength. He caressed her scar for a moment, angered at Mark for what he had suggested and hating Freddy Krueger for what he had done to her. Not that he thought she had _offered _herself, but even Amelia thought that the Dream Demon could have done more to Helyse than what she felt comfortable in telling.

Helyse wondered for a second if he was planning to kiss her again, but she soon forgot this thought. Thinking that her silence was permission to carry on, the boy touched her forehead with his, feeling her shiver again under his touch. The girl closed her eyes, not knowing how to act in this situation and feeling her face blushed and a small portion of her, minimum but existent, that that moment would carry on… However, ignoring that, the girl muttered, against his face.

"It… You… You should go… I mean it." She talked faster than intended and she sought for an excuse. "I have to work."

Jonathan acquiesced, but seemed satisfied that she had not backed or said that she didn't want him touching her. He didn't understand very well that tenseness that Helyse showed, but it wasn't a rejection and this was enough for him. Caressing her face, he smiled a bit to her.

"I see you later then, okay, sweet?"

Helyse just watched the boy walking away. For some minutes, she just stood there, as a statue.

She did feel good with Jonathan holding her, but at the same time… She wondered, not quite knowing well, what Freddy would say should he see such a scene.

But was it possible… Was it possible that Jonathan _truly_ liked her?

Realizing that she wasn't feeling like thinking about this, she turned to concentrate on her work. In some minutes, she started to mutter a song. One she had heard a long time ago…

She didn't realize what she was singing.

"_One, two... Freddy's coming for you" _

**xXx**

There were moments that proved the saying that good things came to those who knew to wait for them. Freddy regarded this as a truth, especially when his victims reached the point when fear evolves into paranoia. It was a long and arduous work, but the result was, in general, _sublime_.

Feed a fear, give time to people, small nightmares, exploring their fears, let them stay awake for a long time, increasing the pressure until they are frightened of even blinking their eyes and you have people feeling not fear, but _ultimate dread. _It enlarged the pleasure of killing, as salt would make the flavor of the meat stand out. It was just like some delicacy, sweet and rare.

And right now, Kurt Locker surely had been overcome by dread. His agility made it possible to run away from Krueger, but not from the nightmare itself.

"How will it be for Little Mandy after her dearest big brother dies?"

Kurt ran through a labyrinth made by the hallways with pipes. Krueger's voice didn't come from any specific place, sounded like it was coming out of thin air. The smoke made it a little difficult to see the way, but Kurt could see enough to change direction when necessary.

It made an infernal heat and thought the boiler room was always so dark, the strength of the fire gave to the air a reddish quality, making the local become a realistic representation of what should be the way to Hell and Krueger was the demon in charge of taking souls to there… Not without before start a torture of his own and having fun with those who fell in his domain.

"_Get a grip, you dumbass!" _Getting nervous wouldn't help. He needed to be sensate. Kurt stopped for a moment. He was sweating and tired, but couldn't lean anywhere for the pipes felt like in flames. Not enough to wake him up, but enough so he couldn't bear to touch them.

"Don't you think your sister will be crushed with your death? Just damn _crushed_?" The satanic voice was mocking and cheerful, as if he couldn't wait to see Amanda's reaction when she entered her brother's room and found a corpse.

The lad forced himself to not answer. He needed to wake up somehow, no mattering how. He had tried to hit his arm against one of the hottest pipes and even if the pain had been one of the worst he had ever felt, it hadn't been enough to wake him up… Now his arm hurt and the smell of burnt flesh was still in his nostrils. He looked around, searching urgently for a way out, of waking up, of running away of that hell… But there was no way out.

Krueger laughed, amused by his fear. Kurt saw him, upstairs, leaning in a metal border with his arms, as a person would do when watching an animal in its space on zoo. His black eyes flame with jubilation and the reddish shine of the fire bestowed him an even more diabolical appearance, reflecting itself in his burnt skin and his metal claws that looked like they had been cleaned recently.

"How do you want me to kill your sister? Such a _sweet _little girl. What about I took her organs out, one by one?"

Kurt screamed with hate, but Krueger was gone when the smoke agglomerated in that place. His voice came from behind four pipes behind the boy.

"You know that during the Inquisition, there was a method just for that?² They would take the organs of people out with them _a-wa-ke_… What do you think is going to make the girl yell the most? The pain of the shock of seeing her own insides?"

Kurt pushed his hand between the pipes, wishing to grab that monster, to kill him before he could even lay a hand on his sister, who he would die to protect. However, his hand met the nothing and he screamed of pain upon feeling the hot metal incinerating his skin.

"Come here and face me, coward! If you touch my sister, I'll kill you!" He screamed, the hate taking over. Turning back, he was facing Krueger, who smiled and that was a smile of someone having a hell of a time, an almost hungry smile. For a second, he looked like a tiger.

"Don't you think you should be more worried about yourself… _Little boy?"_

Kurt punched him with his great agility, hitting Freddy and throwing him to the floor. Kurt went on to hurt him more, but was invaded by such sensation of pain that all he could do was to scream… And he realized (too late, oh god, too late) that he shouldn't ever have stopped _running… _All the teasing was just a trap… Krueger had let himself be hit… Just so to make him stop running, even for a few minutes…

Under his feet, the metal had become so hot that the sole of his shoes seemed to be melting along with his very skin.

Frantic and overcame by a pain like no other, he walked back, realizing with horror the dirty drops that fell from under his shoes. He didn't want to look to his feet to see their state, just turned back and started to run again, searching, praying for a place of the boiler room that wasn't so hot.

The hot air made it hard to breath, as if each inhale seemed to turn into fire inside his body and he speculated if it would be possible to have his organs melted like this. The animal instinct, as weak as if could be in some people, took charge and for a minute, Kurt could feel an area nearby that didn't feel so hot. Full of new hope, he ran as he could, full aware that the soles were being left behind and that his socks felt like they were fused with his feet's skin. He ran faster yet, trying to touch the floor the less he could, body wet by sweat, his mind dizzy…

"What do you guess it's the temperature that a human being can bear before dying, Locker? Or do you think is it better to just be burnt alive at once?" A cold laugh, openly false sorrow on it. "Although maybe you wouldn't like it. Honestly… _It fucking hurts."_

Kurt wanted to scream, to beg, oh, God, had he said _burnt alive? _Was that what he planned to do? Burn him alive or slowly raise the temperature until he finally died? Upon thinking about himself being eaten by the flames that would devour his skin to take long in his meat, having even his blood consumed by the insatiable fire, Kurt wanted to yell, to beg, to plead to whatever improbable trace of humanity that could have lasted in Krueger.

He screamed of pain when he felt his clothes burning. Not that they were in flames, but were burning away as if they had a small fire inside their fibers. He howled, but kept running as if doing so could make a sensation of wind, that would relief that sensation of being in fire.

It didn't take long and the young man was running naked, his body covered by sweat and he had the sensation that his own skin was dissolving, as the wax of a candle…

He stopped, had to stop, for a second. He couldn't see well and was so hard to think… It was so hot… He couldn't even think… Where should he go? How could he…

Then the floor moved.

It came up almost as if he had been standing over a living thing. Metal, which had looked soft for a second, became hard again and solidified itself in a sort of tunnel… Then it fell to the side, making Kurt scream with renewed pain, feeling his naked skin against that incandescent area.

Pain spread by his body with new strength. He tried to stand, but a bigger force made him stay there, lying against the flaming metal and he finally realized, with shock and horror, what that was in fact…

It was an iron coffin.

He yelled… Or tried to, his voice was too weak, it sounded like a whisper of agony and fear. And the pain wouldn't go, to the point where he didn't know what was fear and what was pain, both things seemed to have been infused as his skin would soon melt and fuse itself with the metal…

Krueger appeared at the coffin's side, which seemed to be sinking slowly… In earth? In floor? In fire? Did it even made a difference? It was all the same…

And it was so hot, oh, god, so hot…

"Take… Me… Out…" He managed to mutter, almost spitting the words out in a searing whisper, his lungs ached, burning. He cried, but didn't notice it. Krueger smiled almost solemnly as he watched him.

Kurt tried to stand again, _but it was impossible_. As the iron had melted already and be glued to his skin, or as the coffin was closed in a way he could not see… Whatever it was, he couldn't get out of that ardent casket.

"Such a especial coffin, don't you think?" Krueger asked in an almost paternal tone, as if the coffin was some sort of work of art.

"Please… Whatever you want to do… Please…"

Krueger's smile got wider, the smile of a shark. He kneeled, looking at Kurt calmly, as if he was considering the offer.

"What would I get in order to let you live, brat?"

"Anything! Anything" It wasn't a lie. To get free of that heat, Kurt would do anything, anything Krueger told him to, as long as he let him get out of that _coffin!_

"Are you proposing… A trade?" Krueger asked in a teasing tone and agreed with his head in answer to Kurt's pleas that yes, a trade, anything, just anything he wanted.

"Well, it is an interesting proposition…" He played, scratching the metal of the coffin with his claws. The hot air seemed to dissipate a little and Kurt took deep breaths, feeling a little better, a little hopeful… If at least Krueger heard him, if at least he said what he should do to be spared… He had spared Helyse, he could spare him as well…

Krueger seemed to be feeling very well and though the air was fresher now, the atmosphere was still reddish. He started to play with a small iron's pot that seemed to be done of the same material that the coffin. Kurt thought that it could contain water and that Krueger would torture him with the thirsty he felt… But when Krueger turned it just a little, right above the boy's hand and let a single drop fell on his skin, Kurt felt a new point of pain and this was even worse than all he had felt up until now (there was a limit for how much he could take?)… It was just a small point, yes… But it had such _intensity_…

Krueger nodded again, looking the boy squirm around trying to scream more, even if his voice was weak, almost as he was losing it (or if his vocal cords had been burnt). The Dream Demon just stared as a scientist observing the reactions of a new specimen or reaction.

"Have you learnt? Alkaline elements tend to be very _corrosive_…" He seemed to be commenting about the weather. "It is very much alike being burned alive, just that your brain works for more time…"

"Please! I'll do anything, I swear! Anything you want!" The new hurt had given him also more fear and strength enough to (try) scream more, even if his lungs felt like they were rotting.

Freddy leaned to him abrupt, as a tiger over his prey.

"A trade, you agreed. Let's see… Your sister, Amanda, in your place?" Kurt wasn't even listening, he just agreed, anything, Amanda, his mother, whoever he wanted. He just yelled that yes, anyone, Krueger could kill whoever he wanted as long as he _left him alone! _"I see… And would you make her sleep?"

"Yes! Yes!" He could put something on his sister's chocolate milk, it would be easy. If Freddy let him go, he would do it without hesitation. With Amanda or whoever he wanted. "Please, anyone, I don't care…"

Freddy smiled, delighted.

"Your friends? That Jessica girl? Mark?"

"Yes, yes, any of them! Please, I'll do it, just let me go, I promise!"

Freddy just smiled, feeling an indescribable pleasure upon seeing the boy in pain and screaming those words. He just wished that Helyse was there to see how her so called "friend" was ready to sacrifice even his own sister to see himself free of that pain. Someway, it was expected. Few victims had been more… How could he put it? Loyal? Noble? Well, didn't matter. They all died the same.

"And that new friend? Helyse?"

"Fine! The bitch is yours! Whoever you want! I don't care! Please"

Freddy stood up, looking thoughtful and Kurt stared at him pleading in silence, with a bit of hope in his eyes when the man smiled almost benevolent.

"Interesting…" Before Kurt could say anything, his smile showed again. "But no." And he poured the liquid of the pot in the coffin. It wasn't enough to let Kurt under it, but it fell as an interminable waterfall until it let only part of his body, a bit less than half, submerse. The boy started to yell again as if he could go on until his throat exploded. He couldn't do anything, could hear Freddy saying something as a lid came, sealing him forever. He could feel the coffin being dragged under the floor, and all around reached the temperature of Hell…

"You'll have the sensation of being burnt alive, then after your skin is dissolved, the pain will be stronger, as if you're being skinned… When it truly reaches your meat…" He chuckled darkly "Oh, you'll see…"

Kurt screamed, begged. The coffin was sealed with a loud and dry sound.

Even so, Freddy could still hear the boy yelling.

His screams went on for a time, and Freddy knew that even when they ceased, Kurt would still be alive for a time, just he wouldn't be able to scream anymore…

But there was something else…

He frowned and could make it. Then he heard.

"_Five, six, grab your cruxifix" _

He recognized that voice. Every time someone sang that song, he would always listen and come. It was just like when someone talked/told about him to others, it worked as way to spread, just like a disease. He thought about ignoring it, just now, but thinking again, he was in a good mood…

And he did felt like checking upon Helyse.

* * *

**¹ - Those are names of some murders and psychopaths. I gave some though about putting here a small summary of them, but I decided to not to. Unless someone wants me to do it.**

**² - No kidding, that is real. As a catholic, I'll be the first to admit: Church did some awful things (to not say shit)... I really wonder, how could someone do that to other person and not be moved by their screams?  
**

**Okay, guys, I'm really sorry for all that trouble lately and all, I know how much of a pain it can be. But, it's all back and I took time to fix some little details in the other chapters as well. I still have tons of things to repost, but I decided to do it with this fic first and also update the new chapter as well.  
**

**A question, people, question. Not that this will _interfere_ with the plot, is more of curiosity here. I've seen reviews of people who would like to see Freddy/Helyse and others who would like to see Jonathan/Helyse. First off, I never _imagined_ there would be this sort of thing (and am I satisfied with it!) in a fic of mine! I love to see how you guys have different opinions regarding Helyse's future (well, it shows that you guys care for what happens to her). So, out of ficwriter curiosity, I would like to make a sort of opinion poll: Who you like the most, Freddy or Jonathan?**

**Freddy: No need to make this. I'll win, for sure.  
**

**Ana: Though you didn't want to be with Helyse and hated when people say you guys are a couple...  
**

**Freddy: I do. But you have to admit, all ladies just love me.  
**

**Ana: Oh, boy... There he comes _again..._ Next thing you know, he will be singing "Madness of The Duke of Venomania" or something like that!**

**Helyse: Please don't...  
**

**Ana: Hey! I got facebook!**

**Freddy: Hey, no one gives a damn! **

**Ana: I know, but…**

**Freddy: No one cares!**

**Ana: What is wrong with you this time? **

**Freddy: Nothing!**

**Ana: Weirdo… Well, guys, that is it, Kurt is gone. Ow, now I notice how long it has been since I killed someone here!**

**Helyse: You have mental problems, are you aware of such thing?**

**Ana: Buried alive and even being dissolved. At the beginning, I was just going to make him be buried, but I couldn't resist the idea of doing something more… Grotesque? **

**Helyse: No, just dumb exaggeration. **

**Freddy: I would have done better. That was so amateur-like.**

**Ana: Well, forgive me if I am not a professional Mr. I Am So Fucking Good! Now, to the moon! I mean, reviews.**

**Helyse: To the shrink is where you should go.**

**Ana: And you think _you_ should go were? **

_**Lastt13: **Here it is! I know I take a long time to update, but I do it nevertheless._

_**Mari: **I'm sorry… But really, all my fics take long to update. But I'm always glad to see how people like them and that's one of the reasons why I always go on with them._

_**FV: **Don't worry, I always update them. I can never say when, sadly. _

_**Tc: **You really think I'm managing to keep him in character? Thank you so much! It is always something I wonder, if I am doing it right!_

_**LabyrinthFan23: **Please don't die!_

_Freddy: Please, do. _

_Ana: Shut up, you jerk! And see, there are people who think you're best to Helyse than Jonathan!_

_Freddy (full of himself): That, I am. What can I do, ladies love me._

_Ana: But look how he is… Argh!  
_

_Helyse: Why are people thinking I… I mean I am not… _

_Ana: Don't even mind her, that one doesn't know anything about feelings. Oh yeah, Evanescence is one of my favorite bands always. I like how their songs have _meaning_. Oh I wish. Sadly, here in Brazil, there is no commemoration of Halloween, so I've never been to trick-or-treat or parties. But someday I'll move away to any other place and THEN there will be Halloween for me! Yeah!_

_Helyse: And when I say you're crazy, no one believes me. And plus, you think you'll be accepted? There should be a law stopping you from going out of your home even!_

_Ana: So I could write more and more? _

_Helyse: On second thought…_

_**TheFlawlessDragon: **You can't imagine how happy I feel every time someone says that Helyse is a good character! I was quite surprised at this reaction of Jonathan getting closer to her. There are some people who think she should stay with him, others think Freddy is best. I really never dreamt that there would be this sort of "competition" between them!_

_Freddy: There is no competition! That brat is nothing!_

_Ana: And I guess this means yes, he is feeling threatened. _

_Freddy: Am not!_

_Ana: Childish as always, Freddy. Well, that she is changing she is. If it is for the better or worse, who knows? Sure Jonathan IS taking part in this change, no one can deny it. Now, sure that he was keeping her due to the strength he got from her fear, but they did get close during this time and they even admitted that they are so used to each other that they don't know what they would do should one of them die. _

_Helyse: That doesn't mean we like each other!_

_Ana: Keep telling it to yourself, Hell. Oh, I worry about it, can't help it. I took advantage that I had to repost this whole thing to fix something in the earlier chapters and to add some details, but since it is readable, then I'm happy._

_Helyse: Don't wish her good luck, she doesn't deserve it._

_Ana: Yes I do! And I need it! _

_**CrazyBitch: **One of the things I like the most is to see how deep some people can see the plot or the characters. Sadly, I can't say much because I would end up giving spoilers and it would ruin everything… But I can this: Bad boys? Villains? They are the best! _

_Freddy: That's why we always have more fangirls than the so called heroes. _

_Ana: Can't say he is wrong… Maybe that is why most of my fics have bad guys. As MANY fics here in fanfiction._

_**Aloysia piton: **If I tell you that I like to confuse my readers, will you hate me for that? (I hope not)._

_Freddy: I hope yes!_

_Ana: You can shut up. Well, it is confusing, I know, but as I say… All will be revealed in the end. There has some chemistry between them, of course and how Helyse and Jonathan are closer now with all this "fighting", he is sort of seeing her better. He used to just see her as "something" and just now he is realizing how she is a person like him, with feelings. _

_Helyse: Some, anyway. _

_Ana: And regarding the whole "love" thing… That's a secret. _

_Freddy: You may hit her if you want to. Or I can do it for you…_

_Ana: Hey! A lady shouldn't be hit not even with a flower! _

_Freddy: And since when you're a lady?_

_**Blackmoonlite: **Really? I am so flattered! Then I got what I went for! I guess you can say I have a thing with eyes (the whole "windows of the soul" and so on). I do hope I keep improving my writing (if I want to be writer, I still have a lot to improve). And actually… No. No one ever said that (and I'm blushing now)._

_Helyse: Pathetical._

_Freddy: Ridiculous. _

_Ana: Well, to be sincere, most bullying parts I get inspiration about things I've seen and read and also things that happened to me as well… I hope if someone who reads this does practice bullying will just understand and stop it. Once, I saw a video when a girl killed herself because of bullying and the guy just commented how it was a joke, she didn't need to get all boo-boo about it and so on (her spirit killed him by the way). I actually think that the point is: You never know what may hurt (and how much) other person. I'm very glad that you find my writing this good! Especially the more analytical and deep parts, where I put all my efforts!_

_Helyse: I'm surprised no one just tells you "shut up and go on"._

_Freddy: Or "shut up and write a killing scene". _

_Ana: Freddy, if it was for you, EVERY chapter would have a massacre! Well, something I did learnt in writing is that details always help to make the scene more real. But I try to not overdo it (otherwise, can be boring). Oh, I need to watch more of Hellraiser. I remember one too, Hellnet, I guess it was, it was cool (weird for what I remember, but cool). I do hope so… -shivers- Mary Sues, my personal nightmare._

_**Darkness Takes Over: **Let's see who will get her little heart!_

_Helyse: I don't have one._

_Ana: You know, for someone who have two cool guys as possible love interest, you're being a pain. _

_**Acro111: **Hi! What's up? Well… As I said, I won't be revealing anything. Honest? I'm quite proud of that last scene, cool that you liked it too!_

_**AngelofToast: **That I will do. _

_Helyse: I don't know about the awesome._

_Ana: You know, people here LIKE you, why are you complaining?_

_Helyse: I don't complain about them, I complain about what you make my life to be._

_Ana: … Can't answer that. _

_**Katherine Jason Destler: **Well, I can't say anything. It would give spoilers, but… Who knows? You might be surprised. _

_Freddy: Don't worry. Soon that boy will be dead and you won't have to worry about…_

_Ana: Then people say you're jealous and you get angry!_

_Freddy: Well, he WILL die, so why not give the girl some hope anyway?_

_Ana: I'll never understand you. Well, I do hope this fic get as interesting as you're hoping!_

_Once again, folks, sorry for all the trouble. It won't (I hope) happen again. _


	20. Chapter Twenty - Of Trust and Funerals

**Chapter Twenty – Of Trust and Funerals **

It was without a surprise that Helyse recognized that she didn't like funerals. Not that she thought that _anyone_ liked them, but Kurt Locker's funeral was somewhat _boring, _maybe because she didn't even want to be there. And she hadn't her heart taken by sorrow and loss like the others. She lamented (in her light and distant way) that the boy had suffered so much to die… Not that the coffin had been opened so people could say their farewell… Actually, she thought, had it been open, most people (if not all of them) would go away screaming.

She knew this. Freddy had told her.

With her head held down in the silence of others that expressed their sadness for the loss, Helyse just wished that it would be over soon. She wouldn't have gone to the cemetery at all, if it wasn't for Jonathan, who had called her offering a ride and taking her by surprise once she wasn't even planning to make an appearance.

So, why was she there now, sitting and wearing a simple black dress, pretending to feel feelings she didn't? Yes, she was sorry for the boy's death, but now like Amelia, for example, who was at her side and seemed to be barely able to breathe as she wept lowly? Realizing this, Helyse felt upset. Hadn't she been thinking that she was, even if unwillingly, feeling friends with those people? What kind of friend was _she_, then, that couldn't feel that pain?

She moved, uncomfortable in the chair. She had been wrong in coming… After all, how long had it been since she had stepped in a cemetery? Thinking well… The last time had also been a funeral…

Immediately, she pushed that thought aside, disgusted. She didn't need it now.

With her face still turned down to her lap, her hair forming a curtain around her face, she looked over to the white, carved coffin. Suddenly, it seemed a stupid object… What was the sense in paying so much for a coffin that would be buried? A simpler one would do, there was no need for velvet lining or carve work or anything like this… It seemed a waste of money. It didn't even seem something done for the "dead one" but only for a brief exhibition, before the thing went under earth. Why not use a simpler one then?

"_Or an iron one?" _Helyse thought, thinking about another night.

_Freddy had appeared next to a shelf were she had been organizing some boxes of the stock. If she mixed them, she would have problems and have a lecture (or, worst case scenario, lose her job)… Entertained as she was, she didn't notice anything, singing lowly the same music she had heard in a bus, so much time ago. _

"_Nine, ten…"_

"_Never sleep again" He finished for her, making Helyse turn, seeing him leaning against a shelf in a posture of absolute casualness. For a moment, the idea that he could've been there for a while, observing her, made Helyse a bit tense. _

"_Oh, it's you…" She tried to hide her tension, aware of the failure. His sarcastic grin was proof enough of it. Helyse wondered if he had witnessed the scene between her and Jonathan… Without being even sure of _why_ such question had passed by her mind. It wasn't as if Freddy was her _friend_ or had anything to do with what she did with her life either._

_And even so, she realized Freddy just couldn't be there for long, could he? She was sure that if he had seen Jonathan so close of her, he would have said something _right then.

"_Who did you expect?" He came closer. Helyse perceived that he was in excellent mood. Mentally, she bet anything that he had just killed someone. Again. _

_Which made her think about something else._

"_It was Evelyn, wasn't it? Your victim of yesterday… Evelyn Sanderson?"_

"_Of course." He seemed proud of his doing. But it was how he felt about any victim. Helyse stared at him for some seconds until she leaned her head._

"_Well, so?"_

"_So what?" His good humor didn't stop him from being dry. _

"_Well, aren't you going to tell me? How did you kill her?" Freddy frowned. Something had shined briefly in Helyse's eyes, almost a flare and he doubted she knew she looked quite… Not exactly _happy_, but that curiosity wasn't the apathetic and distant of always. It was more _genuine_. Almost lively, if that was possible. He laughed._

"_I wonder what your little friends would say if they saw you now. Wasn't that bitch Jessica friends with that girl?"_

_Helyse paid no mind to him. She couldn't deny (not wished to) that she really wanted to know how Evelyn had died and almost wished she had been there to see._

"_Oh, it was the most fun… Let's say that some eggs hatched inside her and the cute little ones devoured her from inside out. She screamed like never before… Well, of course that may had been because she was quite deformed… Some operations can go _so_ wrong." He seemed contemplative. "What do you think, did she scream because she was seeing herself in a mirror or because she had thousands of little insects biting their way inside her?"_

_It was then that Helyse said something that surprised him._

"_Thank you."_

_Freddy looked at her, suddenly quiet. He had learnt by now to never expect Helyse to behave in a more "common" way (so he hadn't been expecting her to start babbling about how no one deserved to die in such a way or anything like this) but he hadn't been expecting a thanks. Soon he collected himself ignoring the strange sensation he had just felt. _

"_Thanks for what? Don't be so retarded to think that I did it for you, girl, because I didn't"_

_He really hadn't, but to have Helyse thanking him in anyway… He never had even wanted something of the kind, but to know that she was so pleased wasn't that bad. Weird, but not exactly bad. _

"_I know you didn't." She shrugged her shoulders. "But even so, it is less a pebble in my shoe. I'm grateful." _

_Freddy rolled his eyes as if thinking in some rude answer, but he couldn't really think about any of them in the moment. Helyse turned her back to him, still checking the stock stuff and taking notes in small writing board. _

"_And why did you come here?" She asked and thought about Jonathan and the others, wishing they had gone away. The last thing she needed or wanted was any of them coming in and finding her talking all by herself… At least it was what someone else would think, that she was talking alone, but they could easily figure _who_ she was talking to._

"_I heard you. That's all"_

_Helyse took a moment to remember what Jonathan had told her back at the hospital, when he had visited her. How that song seemed to call Freddy… While looking back at him, he smiled cruelly as if he had just read her thoughts._

"_You didn't know, did you? And here I was thinking you were calling out for me" He added with sarcasm, to which Helyse just shrugged again._

"_I shall call you when I need offenses or nightmares." Her dryness didn't stop her from asking, in a more casual tone. "Who was it, this time?"_

"_Who what?"_

"_Who you killed. You're in such a good mood, you must have killed someone" And someone, she knew, that he'd been wishing to kill for a while know. Freddy, in his turn, didn't know how to react, however he found a little surprising that she knew him so much… Yes, it was rather obvious that he got in a good mood after a kill, but to have someone talking about it with him and in that tone of calmness was another thing._

_He held his head high, hissing the name._

"_Kurt Locker."_

_He was pleased to see that he had stunned Helyse. She turned to him, quiet and frozen. Kurt? Dead? She didn't know what to say about it. It wasn't truly shocking, she thought that it was already a miracle that they had survived to this point, but even so…_

"_Did he suffer?" Her tone was indecipherable. _

"_Yeah, he did suffer a lot, yes." His tone was as if they were talking about the probabilities to rain later and not about the death of someone. Helyse was in silence, reflecting about the case. It was a pity that Kurt had suffered (not that she could do something about it, obvious) after all, he wasn't the worst person she had met; he was quite a good guy (for the little she knew of him anyway). It was something sad…_

_Unsure of what to say, she carried her silence. _

"_He wanted to protect his sister and keeps her from falling asleep and in the end he was the one who slept." Freddy laughed, as if the irony of it was just hilarious. "It is ironic. But I guess he would have died sooner or later, with all pills he was taking. Didn't anyone ever teach the fucking idiot about overdoses?"_

_Helyse remembered of Mark with the coffee. Of Jessica commenting how she had taken five energetic pills… And Mark commenting about his veterinarian mother having some sort of adrenaline thing and how he was thinking about inject that in himself and the others had acted as if it was a good idea… Well, she knew they were scared, with problems she didn't have… But even so, once more, she felt a chill in her bones._

"_He suffered…" Freddy had approached her without her noticing and whispered right in her ear, in cruel teasing. "It was also quite fun. I increased the temperature of the room… He could barely run in the end…"_

_Helyse stood very quiet, thinking that every time Freddy was so close, she felt as if in the in the presence not of a man, but of a tiger that would kill her if she moved._

"_The soles of his shoes were almost melting… I asked him if he didn't want to be burnt at once, I mean, it is a fucking pain, but maybe it would be quicker than melting slowly…" He carried on in a voice that pretend mercy and lament. Helyse closed her eyes. Freddy was provoking her… _

"Of course you know how it hurts, it is how you died…" _She thought. Poor Locker. He sure had suffered not only with the pain but with the despair. Yes, it was sad, but there was a limit of how much Helyse could care and she didn't try to pass that limit… Though, deep inside, she was trying to feel sorrier for Kurt and more hate of Krueger for what he had done, feel the despair others would (should) feel when losing a friend and learning his death was so terrible…_

_But she couldn't force herself that much. Truth was, even if she was starting to care about Kurt and the others, the key word was still "starting"._

"_Nevertheless, that started to get _boring_. He had been running around for a while and the show must go on, you know? So I decided to finish it at once." His hands touched her shoulders, pressing it slowly until he was holding her, though his claws were only touching her and didn't even scratched her. _

"_So, I put him in an iron coffin… He could barely scream!" The Dream Demon laughed with infernal joy. "I thought about just leave him die there, but that fucker bastard was such an annoyance…"_

"_Say at once what you did." Helyse hissed not in anger but almost boredom. Yet, Krueger smiled for though she sounded as if he was just making suspense while telling a silly story, it was still a reaction, a signal that he had managed to disturb her. As if deciding to test if it was his narrative or something more and also his limits, he started to massage her shoulders. _

"_I think he tried to stand… But he couldn't. And that coffin was so hot…" The tone of false mercy changed when he laughed again. "He sure would be able to tell now how bacon feels, don't you think?"_

_Helyse bit her inferior lip. Just like then Jonathan had touched her, she felt distressed now. She didn't like it much, being touched like that without any permission, but the way Freddy did it was different. How "different" she wouldn't be able to say… As her feelings, it was something that she, in her ignorance in such subjects, knew only to "feel" and not how to define in words._

"_You should have seen his face when I showed him some acid. It was as if the bastard had recovered his strength to scream." He became quiet for a while, as if Helyse had asked him something. "It is somewhat like being burned, but brain works for more time."_

_Helyse turned her face to him, having to look a bit up (he was taller than her, but it was as if she had noticed it just now). Basically he meant that he had used such method just because he knew that it would be longer and more painful? Well, it wasn't that much of a surprise, was it? She knew very well how he liked to "play" with his victims, she knew his sadism. _

_But that proximity bothered her more than anything else._

_He looked straight at her, black eyes seeming to burn of jubilation. They were so close now that Helyse could see the details of each burnt that marked his skin. Freddy stared at her, thinking about how she still looked so calm… Not for the first time, he felt some anger, not towards her (though her calmness was enervating) but to the fact that he couldn't bring himself to hate _her _simply. Irritation and hate were not the same things and he recriminated himself for getting to the point of admiring her._

"_You know what was the more interesting?" He continued, cold and venomous by now. "He even tried to scream that he would do _anything_. Being merciful as I am, I asked him if he was talking about a trade. And know what?"_

"_What?" She asked without any care, just wishing that he would finish talking and let her go. As if just to tease her, he leaned to her, whispering again. In instinct, Helyse turned her face, but it was a mistake… Now he was whispering right in her ear again, his mouth touching her skin._

"_He agreed! Isn't this hilarious? I guess he thought that you did something to be… Spared, shall we say? I asked if he would trade places with someone… He agreed, he even said he would make the person fall asleep… As if one of his friends… You… Or even his little sister."_

_Helyse wasn't this surprised for Kurt's words and his acceptance of such "trade", giving his situation. There were people who could deny such proposition and others that, taken by despair and pain, could not. And she didn't give a damn that he had agreed in do such a thing to her, but to agree in exchange his life for Amanda's? Well, that was more surprising… But again, he had been in such great pain and that threat of the acid… And plus, what she had to do with what he had said before dying? It wasn't of her business!_

"_And you didn't accept and filled the coffin with acid." Helyse answered, but felt Freddy shaking his head. _

"_Mm-mm! Wrong! Just half of it." _

"_To take longer…" Helyse concluded and sighed. Freddy held her shoulders briefly before letting go, but didn't move away. That closeness made him remember the last night, when he had been so close of her before Amelia had appeared._

"_Shocked? That a _friend _could be eager to sacrifice anyone else to survive?" He waved his hand as if dismissing the idea. Helyse just shook her head. It wasn't shocking. Survival instinct; that was all… It had been out of evil, he had been desperate. _

"_Good, know why? Maybe you shouldn't trust them too much"_

_Before she could even move, Freddy leaned to her again, so close that their faces almost touched._

"_Maybe…" He muttered, dragging the words. "They aren't even your friends"_

_**XxX**_

To trust them… And had Kurt truly thought she had done something to be "spared"? And why wouldn't he? Hadn't Mark even insinuated that she _had to have done _something in exchange of her life? And something of _sexual _nature, above all?

"_Well, what if I had? Who would blame me?" _She didn't want to blame Kurt for what he had said, but was unsure if the others would not do it, think he had been cruel and selfish, betraying their friendship… And forgetting how pain he was feeling at the time… In despair's time, people would do a lot of things.

"_And say as well. Maybe, if it had come down to it, when he had to pay it and make someone sleep, he wouldn't dare to do such a thing…" _Not that they would ever know. And it wasn't as if it was something that had to do with her once she didn't care.

But if she didn't care, why was she trying to put Kurt under a good light in her mind?

She closed her eyes, burying her face in her hands. She had the deep sensation that such questions would drive her to insanity. Particularly after what Freddy had said…

Feeling someone touching her shoulder, she faced Jonathan. Other night, he had looked bad, but this morning he seemed worse than never due to the sorrow.

"_And if you understand Kurt's situation, shouldn't you understand their reason to be so miserable with the idea of falling asleep?" _The thought made her a bit uneasy, but she just stood up with him. Amelia followed them, apparently unable to say a word. She had stopped crying, but her eyes were blank and full of sadness.

Mark and Jessica were near the coffin yet and when walking closer, Helyse noticed someone she knew…

Amanda was also near her brother's coffin, wearing a black dress and shoes of the same color (thought they were not doll-like, but resembled more small boots. Helyse wasn't surprised by it). Her dark hair, so alike Kurt's, made in a braid. Her black eyes reddish of crying. Last time she had saw her, the little girl had been crying as well but out of fear in a nightmare… Helyse turned her eyes away, looking to the white coffin. She couldn't help but wonder how Kurt's corpse looked like…

They stayed in silence for a while, as if none of them knew what to say, Finally, Mark looked at the rest of the group.

"Well… Do you guys want to go eat? I know we…"

But before he continued, his eyes fixed in something small. Amanda had come closer without their noticing. The silence came back. It was as if none of them knew what to say or, knowing the responsible for Kurt being now in that coffin, were too nervous or ill-at-ease to say anything.

Amanda looked right to Helyse. For such a young child, she had an intense gaze.

"You're the lady that helped me before." It wasn't a question. Uncomfortable, as if helping the girl was a reason more for embarrassment than pride, Helyse nodded.

The girl's face twisted in an expression in which there was a mixture of pain, sorrow and (could it be?) a great indignation.

"Why didn't you help my brother too?! You could help me, why couldn't you help him or his friends? Why it had to be my brother?"

Helyse was open-mouthed. Some answers (few of them very polite) passed by her mind, but she didn't think she should tell them to a child that didn't even know what she was saying, taken by suffering as she was. But she couldn't help but be annoyed. First Jessica in the school the other day, then it had been Mark and now Amanda. She liked it best before when at least some people would just leave her be.

"C'mon, let's go" Jonathan whispered and almost dragged her out there along with Mark, Amelia and Jessica. Accepting Mark's suggestion, they decided to eat something and went to a nearby restaurant, picking a small round table near a window (which view wasn't of the cemetery).

They did order some food, but no one seemed eager in eating though it was past lunchtime. Even less eager in talking, though the atmosphere and the way they trades looks as if they were begging someone to start talking, were all clear signs that they had something to talk about.

"_And what else would it be about, but Krueger? It is the only subject we truly got" _Helyse thought, still annoyed. Once again, she thought about the Dream Demon telling her to not trust them and saying that maybe they weren't her friends. It wasn't quite a lie, after all she didn't think they knew each other (at least she didn't) well enough to use such term, but it wasn't as if she despised them… Before, she wouldn't have give a damn about Kurt's or anyone else's death and though she wasn't as distressed as the others, it didn't mean she was sorry…

"Don't worry about it…" She was scared with the whisper and for a second, wondered if Amelia had overheard her talk with Krueger the other night… "Amanda was just nervous, you know how kids can be…"

The relief was so much that Helyse had to struggle herself so the others wouldn't notice it.

"Yeah… I… I know…"

Amelia smiled and held her hand as if trying to comfort her. The touch, somehow, seemed different. Helyse remembered the night Amelia had held her hand when they were going to sleep, back at Jonathan's house… The touch then had been soft and gentle… This time it seemed too automatic, too much… Calculated?

She didn't know if it was like this, but there was something different…

"_Don't be dumb, just see her mood. She is distressed!"_

"And we will make him pay…" Mark sounded threatening. Helyse had never seen him with such violent expression. "It is not enough to have those dream powers and do shit about it. We have to attack him. Kill him once and for all"

The others looked to each other. They knew it was something that had to be done, but there was a great thing stopping them: The fear. And it wasn't fear of killing anymore, it was the fear they had of Krueger.

Fear that only evolved each day.

"I think…" Jessica's voice was weak, but after she coughed a bit, the girl seemed more in control of herself. "I think it is always best to know our enemy. I did some research actually…" And she took some papers of her purse.

"For crying out loud, Jessica, we're _eating_!"

Jessica paid Jonathan no mind and just cast him a cold look. When she put the papers in the table, though, even he leaned closer to take a look. They were copies of old newspaper and others were information taken from sites of the internet. The first page, of old news, claimed in large letters. "_Springwood's Slasher Still On The Loose"._

Helyse relaxed her muscles. She didn't think those papers had anything that Freddy had not already told her in a short way. The others kept looking at the papers avid, as if they contained some sort of proof or help.

"He was a child murdered. He killed twenty for what is said there… But I guess he can have killed more and they just never found the bodies." She showed them another paper that seemed a list of the dead children and the locals where they had been found. Under it, there was a photo of what Helyse believed to be Krueger's old home. She had seen this house before and she knew there were several rumors about it, though she had never truly heard them in details.

"This house there was his home. There are some stories in the sites about it, how some bodies may be buried in the basement, how some believe it is haunted by Krueger… A lot of things."

"It would be good" Jonathan muttered, in a dry tone as he stared to the house's photo. "That it truly had something to do with the house. If that bastard was stuck there as a ghost, then it would be easier." He stopped for a while and commented. "Maybe we could try putting it on fire. If there is some link between Krueger and the place where he used to live…"

The way he said such thing was as if it was something normal and simple to do. Jessica on other hand kept her research without being bothered by it.

"There is more… He was actually caught once, but they let him go."

"Such a good example of the judiciary system, don't you think?" Mark asked and Helyse thought again that he looked weird, almost as if he was drunk, but it wasn't exactly it… It was something worse.

"Wait… Is not like he was innocent and I don't think he was arrested without proof, so how come…?" Amelia seemed exasperated with this. Jessica moved some pages and picked another page of newspaper that revealed "_Springwood's Slasher Set Free"._

"It was a hell of a case, but seems that the warrant hadn't been signed or something of this nature. And this invalids the proof, at least is what I learnt on television, I guess… Well, the thing is that he was set free and the rest you know, some parents decided to make justice, went to where he was and burnt the place and him along." She showed them a picture of a burnt corpse.

"It was what he deserved, but how can this help us out?" Mark was impatient, almost violent while he pulled some papers to himself to read them over. Jessica shrugged, somewhat ashamed,

"I just thought that he may be a supernatural being, but he was human once. I got some things about his life, I just thought… The more we know, the better. It is with the human element we're dealing with, no matter his powers."

"I don't know if he can be considerate human…"

"Or if he ever could." Mark muttered and tossed a page in the table, as if disgusted by it.

It was a copy of some internet's site. In the top of it, in dark letters, the words "_Do We Know All?" _stood out. Helyse ran her eyes by the page that had another details about Freddy. Apparently, if what was written there was true, his mother had been a nun. Locked by accident in an asylum, she had been raped over and over by hundred of maniacs before being found and, by that time, she was pregnant.

"I found this after seeing a site calling him "bastard son of a hundred maniacs"." Jessica seemed sick just by looking at the paper and her voice then was full of despise and contempt for Krueger. "But I guess this explains some things about him… No wonder he was called like this when he was a child."

For a second, Helyse thought she had misheard it.

"What?"

"It was how he was called when he was a child. Son of a hundred maniacs…" Jessica repeated almost as if annoyed with Helyse, as if thinking she wanted to be funny. The girl just looked to her plate, unsure if she wanted to discuss that subject. Mark let out a small laugh and sang lowly "son of a hundred maniacs, son of a hundred maniacs" and laughed bitterly.

"Since he was little he was fucked up then." He said, ceasing his singing. "Damn, I wish someone had shot him when he was a child, then we wouldn't be in this mess."

Seeing Jessica's eyes fixed upon her, Helyse was sure that the subject of the other night had not been forgotten. And as she spoke again, she didn't turn her eyes away.

"C'mon, Helyse, even being who he is, he was human once… Every person has a weakness. Maybe something of his personality that we can explore, that can give us an advantage… Something that will make things easier"

Helyse was about to say that calling him "son of a hundred maniacs" surely wouldn't be on the list of what could help them defeat Krueger and that she had no idea of any weakness that Freddy might have and how the dream and it's realm were all they had when Amelia leaned towards her.

"Helyse, did he keep you from talking? Did you find out something and he made sure that you couldn't speak?"

The girl shook her head, not liking the direction the conversation was taking. She felt as if being interrogated. And the firm way they stared at her wasn't helping.

"I told you guys already, I don't know any more than you do!"

Jonathan held her hand, squeezing it lightly in a gesture that meant to give her strength. Helyse didn't understand the reason for it, she was just telling them _again _how she didn't know anything. Just because she had spent some time in a nightmare, didn't mean she knew all about Krueger…

She _knew_ _him, _though. She knew where she was standing with him and knew what expect of him most times. In a weird, twisted way, she trusted him. Hadn't he told her in the night he'd killed Evelyn that she could sleep, that he would leave alone (at least that night)? And he had kept his word. She had slept and nothing had happened. She had even gone to the boiler room (due to her own wish) and even though she right in front of him… He hadn't done anything.

And to tell the truth, wasn't because of this that she wasn't suffering like the others? She didn't feel the same horror before the idea of going to sleep. She didn't have to take any medicine or coffee and didn't have that dread that got closer and closer to paranoia as the days passed by… And last time she had been hurt, it had been more with her attempts to help Jonathan than because of Krueger's attack…

"Oh, Hell, that's impossible and you know it! You spent a long time there, you saw him acting, you _must _know something!" Amelia insisted. "I know it isn't easy to talk about, but think that we can catch that monster if you help us out!"

"_Isn't this more or less what they say to rape's victims?" _Looking around, she noticed that the others stared at her with almost hunger looks.

"If we manage to attack him, we'll revenge everyone! Not only Russo and Taýra and… And Kurt…" Mark's voice failed in saying his friend's name, but he was soon firm again. "And you as well! He'll pay for whatever he did to you!"

Helyse realized that despite what she had told them before, Mark still believed that she had either been raped or had offered herself to Krueger in order to be spared. Even if she didn't want to, she couldn't deny that there was something strange in his way of saying it.

"Or did he put a spell on you?" Helyse looked at Jessica in shock, thinking that it could only be some stupid joke, but it wasn't for the way Jessica was looking at her or the way her eyes shined. "Since in dreams he can do whatever he wants… Is that it, Hell, did he put a spell on you or something alike it?"

Helyse didn't know what to say or feel. It was so absurd, so absurd…

"Helyse, is there anything you want to hide from us? Did he forced you to do something besides… You know?"

Even Jonathan? Couldn't they just believe her? She hadn't done anything…

"_Anything of this kind, you mean…" _A small voice whispered in her mind. True, she hadn't done anything _sexual, _but it didn't mean she hadn't _done _anything. After all, hadn't she helped Krueger to kill Russo? Wouldn't he probably be alive and seated right here with his friends, had she kept her mouth shut? And hadn't she admitted it to herself, without any remorse; that she had taken part in this and it had even been fun?

"Helyse, if he forced you to anything, whatever it was, it wasn't your fault…"

Maybe they wanted to comfort her, but that wasn't comfort at all. Their voices were not ones of comfort, they sounded more as if they were impatient for her to "get over" whatever had happened and tell at once all she knew about Krueger, as vultures getting closer to a carcass that it is still being eaten by the animal that killed it.

Helyse looked at them, but there was no console or even mercy in their eyes. Maybe she noticed something alike pity in Amelia's eyes, but pity and mercy were different things. Jonathan's eyes were indecipherable, Mark seemed impatient and Jessica, anxious… Not for the first time, she wished she had stayed home.

She had never felt like this… She was sad and confused, couldn't even think rightly. She stood up, shivering.

"I already told you, I don't know! And I told you, nothing happened!" For a moment, she wanted to confess that the only thing that had happened was that she had helped in one of the killings, just so they would leave her alone.

"But Helyse, that bastard violated you…."

"He didn't do it! He would _never_ do it" She didn't even notice what she had just said, but the others stared at her with expressions of surprise and shock. Helyse felt she was starting to be sick and the little food she had eaten was agitating in her stomach in the warmth that precedes vomiting.

She decided to leave. Suddenly, she wanted to be alone…

Without even gazing behind, she walked out the restaurant with quick steps and blinked under the sunlight that now seemed far too strong for her. She felt as if she had some sort of disgusting and heavy mass in her throat and even her thoughts were disordered.

"Helyse… Helyse, wait, please!" She wanted to ignore that call, but Jonathan caught up with her, looking embarrassed, but Helyse didn't care. She didn't want to talk with him or anyone of the group. For the first time in years, she was furious. Not just upset or annoyed, but truly angered. Just that the feeling had part of its strength stolen by the sensation of hurt… And they were the only two feelings that composed the strange dark thing that had taken over her heart, made of some disgusting mix of those and other feelings that she couldn't make up (and had no idea of what they were).

Jonathan tried to give her some weak smile.

"Doesn't seems like this scene is getting repetitive? You going out of some place and I following you?" He wanted to laugh, but stopped when noticed that Helyse didn't find it funny. And unlike other times when she had been inexpressive, although she still seemed quite calm, her eyes made it clear that she was far from it.

Not even Helyse was sure why she felt like this. Logically speaking, they had reasons to believe that Freddy could have violated her and that she could know something more about it. They just wanted to survive.

"_It may be so, but it is not enough to make me feel better!" _And why was she hurt about it, anyway? Yes, they didn't believe her, but it hadn't been just that… It was a sensation beyond it. Almost as being surrounded by… By what? She didn't know also. There was something very weird there. Something _wrong_.

"C'mon, Hell…" Jonathan took her hand and again squeezed it as if in a caress. Helyse stared at him.

"Of what are you talking about?" She knew she was sounding cold, but when had she minded it?

"Well, I brought you here, so I could take you home too…"

Helyse thought about refusing it, but ended up agreeing. It wasn't as if her house was close and with a ride, she would arrive faster (which was all she wanted by now).

During the way back, Jonathan tried to explain how they were distraught by Kurt's death and how they had all realized they had crossed a line with her and that all they wanted was to defeat Krueger as soon as possible and the only one who had more experience of survival was her. In the end, Helyse was somewhat alike a hope for them, a symbol that survival was possible. He also made it clear that he knew Krueger had tortured her and he wanted payback for this, for he cared a lot for her…

It was quite a pretty speech…

But Helyse couldn't erase of her mind the way him and the others had looked at her… Nor could she get rid of that disgusting feeling…

* * *

**Ana: I admit, I took a long time with this one.**

**Freddy: About time you came back here, you lazy bitch.**

**Ana: Wolf, please. Okay, joke aside, I know you guys don't want excuses, you want more chapters, but I take longer to write than you guys to read.**

**Helyse: Please, one thing is to take time, another is to take so many months to write, what? Thirteen pages? **

**Ana: I'm trying to apologize here?**

**Freddy: No one cares about it, just stop being so lazy and write more. **

**Ana: Fine, fine. I messed it up, I admit. Well, guys, what can I say? Seem the "good guys" of this story may have something happening… **

**Helyse: And I'm the one who has to bear it. **

**Ana: Who told you to survive Krueger and join them? **

**Helyse: I swear, if they keep this up…**

**Ana: I guess we can all agree that you're too involved now to just leave them. Well, guys… If you want to add me on facebook, I would be happy and if sometimes you feel I'm delaying too much, feel free to send me a message on PM or check my deviantart page, I make some drawings of this fic, write sometimes on the journal (which sometimes may explain the delay) and other things and… Well, what can I say? Sometimes I update deviantart more than here. **

**Freddy: Yadda yadda, both links are in your profile and all that…**

**Ana: Since you're so eager to talk, why don't you remind everyone of the obvious?**

**Freddy: Ana doesn't own anything here except the ocs, the principal one being Helyse Blake, she isn't gaining any money with this and all that. You know the story.**

**Ana: Oh, just one thing, before I forget! You all remember how I asked, for the sake of my curiosity, if you like Jonathan or Freddy better. The result you can see for yourselves… AND A GREAT THANKS FOR THE ONES WHO VOTED!**

**Freddy: 6**

**Jonathan: 2**

**Freddy: Told you I was going to win!**

**Helyse: So? Is just a poll, it doesn't mean anything. **

**Ana: Means a lot, actually. I loved this poll because to be honest, it touches me that you guys care so much for Helyse and her future. **

**Freddy: You are NOT going to make a speech are you? Let's answer those reviews at once. **

**Ana: Admit that you love the attention you get.**

**Freddy: Of course I do! And I deserve it, after all, I'm one of the greatest slashers of history.**

**Ana: You and your ego… God, give me patience…**

_**Acro111: **__To be honest, I thought the remake was even uglier. Glad you liked that chapter. I sort rushed this one (because I stayed the whole night writing it and to be honest, I'm almost falling asleep right over the keyboard, it's sunrise already) but I hope it is good nevertheless. _

_Freddy: I am what?_

_Ana: Freddy, you're sort of burnt all over, so… It is a valid point. No lie about it. _

_Freddy: You… You…_

_Ana: I guess you hurt his ego. But he deserves it, don't worry. A good lesson of humility is always welcome… _

_**LabyFan23: **__I guess you, along with many others, may be wishing to kill me for the delay…_

_Helyse: Despite how much I hate this fic, I must agree with them…_

_Ana: Shut up, you. And yes, seems Team Freddy is larger than Team Jonathan. _

_Freddy: Well, those so called Dream Warriors are dying one by one… Maybe next time I shall kill that prick… And to be honest, since…_

_Ana: If you start the spoilers Freddy, I swear I'll sew your mouth…_

_**Nightmare Goddess16: **__I'm so flattered that you find this fic this good! Dreaming about being a writer, this means a lot to me! And yes, this is one of the top mysteries it seems… The biggest questions are what happened in Hell's past and what will happen in her future._

_Helyse: If depending of Ana, I'll probably still suffer a lot. _

_Ana: Pessimist. But one thing you may be sure: There WILL be more death scenes. Pity in this one I could only give an idea of how Evelyn died (if I had put the whole description, this chapter would be far too long)._

_Helyse: Sadly. I wish I had been there when that happened._

_Ana: Being the little sweetheart you are, no wonder._

_Freddy: I would win against that faggot any day!_

_Ana: Don't remember if I answered this already (isn't my memory wonderful?) but I'll do it anyway here… Honestly, I really don't know because they both have such strong points. It's hard to kill them and they have their strengths. I guess maybe Jason is easier at least to _avoid_ being killed I guess (stay away from Crystal Lake and if there, try to not behave like a crazy, drunk, sex-driven person) while with Freddy, if he decides to kill you, he will try it anyway… _

_Helyse: Both are stuck in a determined area as well. Springwood and Camp Crystal Lake._

_Ana: Yes, but I heard that Jason appeared in Manhattan once (didn't watch that movie though). So, I guess, in the subject of survival, it would be harder to deal with Freddy, so… Yes, he win. _

_Freddy: See?_

_Ana: Don't give me that, I actually like Jason a lot (and feel sorry for him). Oh, about keep writing? Don't worry. I have plenty of ideas not only for this fic but future ones. Kukuku. _

_Helyse: You're not trying to mimic Naraku's laugh, are you?_

_Ana: … Leave me alone, will you? _

_**Chantierra10: **__Seems though Jonathan has gained some fans, even then like Freddy better. I can't wait to get to the future chapters, there is so much to happen and I'm curious about your reactions! _

_Helyse: I'm curious to see when they will be tired of you taking so much time between chapters._

_Ana: Hope you can forgive me for this. And don't worry, after that little "too-close" scene, I don't think they will deny it._

_Freddy: Just because I was close to her? _

_Helyse: Please, it didn't mean anything…_

_Ana: For the love of God, would you both stop? No one believes those denials anymore! It is getting annoying! _

_**CrazyPerson2671: **__Believe me, no matter how much time I take between updates, this fic WILL be finished. All chapters are planned and despite that I may take much time, I'll write all of them and update all of them._

_Helyse: And FINALLY finish this crap._

_Ana: Yes, but who said I will stop writing after this fic?_

_Freddy: I won't ever be free of you, will I?_

_Ana: Who knows… -evil laugher-_

_**Dream's Realm: **__Best? Really? You made my day with this! Hope this chapter has kept your expectative and that you liked it!_

_**KittyoftheNight: **__To be honest, there are still many things to happen… But soon all secrets will be revealed. _

_Helyse: I'm so screwed._

_Ana: Yes, you are. _

_**Well, folks, that is it for now. Again, I'm terribly sorry for the amount of time I took. I can just say I had real (unpleasant) reasons for it. But, I made in time for Christmas! So, everyone, merry festivities and (if I don't update until then) a very happy New Year and that you all enjoy this end of year and the next one (there WILL be a next year for sure) Blessings for you all!**_


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